Suzaku no Saiai
by Kourika
Summary: A mysterious girl gets drawn into the Universe of the Four Gods to help the Suzaku seishi and gets drawn into an exploration of her own origins. Spoilers for episodes 29 on...Alternate Universe
1. Suzaku no Saiai -- Chapter 1

Suzaku no Saiai: Part 1  
  
  
A New Legend  
  
Standard disclaimer: All of the Fushigi Yuugi characters are the property of   
Watase Yuu, Shogakukan, Studio Pierrot, Bandai Visual, TV Tokyo, and Movic.   
Please don't sue me; I'm just a poor college student. Kourin and Jin Feng are my   
original characters. Feel free to use them, but please let me know   
first(jscaife@austin.rr.com)  
  
"Nuriko's not dead!" Miaka screamed, running away from Tamahome.  
"Miaka!" he called after her desperately before starting to follow.  
The remaining four seishi stood stunned by the death of their comrade. Chichiri   
solemnly removed his mask and began praying over the body. All of them   
realized that only time would heal the wound caused by Nuriko's death.  
Suddenly, the sky opened with a flash of brilliant crimson light, and a girl   
appeared before the startled group. "Who the hell are you, and where the fuck   
am I?"  
The girl swept her gaze over the cluster of men and tried to keep the shock and   
disgust out of her face. "Great, I get swept away in a ball of red light to the middle   
of nowhere, and the only people around are a strange guy with a fan, fangs, and   
earrings, a weirdo with funky, blue - of all colours- hair, a stupid oaf with a cat,   
and a little boy!" she muttered angrily. "To top it off, this place is freezing!" She   
scanned the strange group again and finally noticed the fifth figure who was   
apparently sleeping peacefully on the ground. "Are you all stupid?!" she   
demanded harshly. "Your buddy will probably die if you let him...her...sleep in the   
snow like that."  
Four startled pairs of eyes stared back at her. "Ojousama, that's impossible,"   
stated the big man with the cat.  
"Why's that? Is he superhuman or something?" the girl quipped sarcastically.  
The blue-haired man stepped forward and restrained the man with the fan. "I'm   
afraid you misunderstood my companion. You see, Nuriko is already dead."  
"You fools, didn't you try a chi transfusion or anything?!" she demanded.  
"Mitsukake-san," asked the little boy,"what is the strange woman talking about?"  
"Ojousama, none of us can manipulate chi well enough to successfully complete   
that procedure," the big man said.  
"Maybe there actually is a point in my being here then," she smiled tightly. "How   
long has he been dead? If it's longer than a couple of hours I can't do anything,   
so don't ask me to bring your dead mothers back or anything funny, okay?"  
"He's only been dead a few minutes," a new voice broke in.  
The girl turned to find another young man and an odongoed, brown-haired girl   
looking at her hopefully.  
"Can you really bring Nuriko back to life?" the odongoed girl asked. "Will you   
really help us?"  
"As a healer it is my duty to provide aid to any who require it," the other girl   
replied sharply,"regardless of whether I know them or not. However, I need all of   
your help. When I'm transferring my chi, all of my defenses are lowered. If I am   
even startled, I could lose control, and both of us could die. Hey, big guy,   
Mitsukake was it, you seem to have some healing power yourself, so you get to   
be my assistant. You there, with the blue hair, have a particularly strong aura, so   
I want you to create a barrier around us. The rest of you should grab a weapon   
and defend blue hair and us two, wakatta?"  
The brown-haired girl ran to the horses and carefully hefted a large sword with   
both hands. It was two thirds as tall as she was, and she could barely lift the tip   
from the ground. The strange girl restrained a groan.  
"Can you really use that, doll face?" she asked disparagingly. "Are you strong   
enought to kill for someone you love?"  
The other girl met her gaze steadily. "To bring Nuriko back, I'm capable of doing   
anything," she replied with conviction.  
"I certainly hope so! Okay, I'm ready to start. Listen up, defenders! Anything that   
moves is a possible threat. Also, no matter what I do, don't stop me. My methods   
may seem peculiar, but I know that they work. Mitsukake, do you have the power   
to heal your pal's outer wounds, so I don't have to expend energy on that?"  
The big man nodded in assent, and the odd girl really smiled for the first time.   
"Then let us start. Time is of the essence." She waited patiently as the big man   
gently dusted the corpse with some sort of magical water which mended the   
ruined clothing as well as closing the gaping body wounds. As soon as he was   
done, the girl knelt in the snow and began unbuttoning her patient's shirt. She   
carefully placed her hands on the young man's chest before bending her head to   
cover the corpse's lips with her own. A muffled gasp came from the man   
maintaining the barrier, but true to his word he did nothing. The young healer   
steeled herself and carefully sent her spirit into her patient's mind.  
How can one describe being in another person's mind? There is the awkward,   
floating sensation of being in a form that is cohesive but not truly solid. Also,   
each individual's mind is different, so no two healing experiences is the same.   
There is simply no way to generalize. This young man's mind had no visible   
organization at all. It was an open space filled with rainbows, flowers, and   
butterflies. Each object carried one pastel hued memory including ones of the   
people she had just met.  
"This has got to be the most peculiar male mind I've ever seen," the girl   
murmured. "I don't have any idea where to start looking down here, but this   
'Nuriko's' psyche must be around here somewhere!"  
"Sumimasen," interrupted a childish voice, "but are you looking for my brother?"  
She turned around in surprise. A young girl of about eight or nine years old knelt   
on a rich purple flower a few feet away. The child's hair was exactly the same   
hue as the flower, and she bore a striking resemblance to the patient. "Wait a   
second, you're only one of this 'Nuriko's' memories. You shouldn't be able to talk   
to me!"  
The child shook her head sadly. "Niichan never resigned himself to my death,   
and, as a result, I've been trapped in his mind ever since. He tried to become a   
woman and live for me, but to do so he forced his true personality to the depths   
of his mind."  
"So your brother actually became you?" the older girl queried incredulously.  
"Not exactly; he became the person he would have been if he had been born   
female," the child answered gravely. "Because of Niichan's obsession, I have not   
been able to rest for eight years. I am weary and long to rest before being reborn.   
If I call my brother for you, will you take him to where he belongs up there?" The   
child gestured impatiently towards a small building near the top of the open   
space.  
"Is that your brother's conscious self?" the girl asked, and when her companion   
nodded she continued,"Are you asking me to reinforce your older brother's   
personality and erase everything except his memory from his mind?!"  
The child laughed and clapped her hands in delight. "I knew that you would   
understand! After you save him, why don't you marry Niichan? I like you."  
The older girl blushed before responding. "Thank you for offering, but I think that   
your niichan and I will have to pick our spouses for ourselves. Besides I'm only   
nineteen."  
"You're nineteen, and you haven't married yet?" the child cried in shock. "You'd   
better hurry or no one will want you! Besides Niichan is a very nice boy. Do think   
about it!"  
"Why don't you call your brother before we discuss marriage?" the older girl   
suggested weakly. "I have to bring him back to life first."  
"I suppose so, the little girl smiled mischievously. "A dead husband wouldn't be   
very good in bed, now, would he?" Before her companion recovered from the   
shock, the child called out, "Ryuuen-niichan, come out. We have a visitor!"  
A sullen male voice replied, "Kourin, you know that I don't want to see anyone!   
There are reasons I hide down here, you know!"  
"It's a girl, Niichan, for you. Besides," she added slyly, "if you don't come out   
Suzaku no Miko will be very sad."  
"Miaka's where? Where did she go?" An almost beautiful young man stumbled   
eagerly from behind one of the rainbows. "Kourin, where'd Miaka go?"  
The little girl stuck her tongue out at her big brother. "I never said she was here,   
Niichan. This is our visitor." She gestured towards the other girl.  
The young man circled her, studying her appraisingly. "You look sort of like Yui-  
chan, but she has blond hair, and yours is light brown, and Yui's a lot thinner. Oh,   
and why are you dressed like a man?"  
The subject of his intense scrutiny snorted inelegantly. "Thanks for the analysis   
on my beauty or rather my lack thereof!" As far as my clothing goes, you're not   
one to talk. You were a cross dresser while you were alive! Besides where I   
come from women dress like this all of the time."  
"Your culture is okay with women wearing pants?" the young man asked   
incredulously. "You know, you're not bad looking, but Miaka is much cuter."  
"If Miaka's the girl with the odongos, I got the impression that she's not too quick   
on the uptake," his 'rescuer'retorted. "Besides she seems to already be taken!"  
"What makes you think that you have a right to criticize Miaka?" Kourin's niichan   
argued.  
The young girl broke in suddenly. "Stop it, you two! Ryuuen, I want you to please   
go with this nice lady. She came all this way to get you."  
"I'm not going anywhere with that harpy!" her brother declared firmly.  
"Good, because I wouldn't take you with me if you paid me!" the girl returned.   
"You can rot down here for all I care. Come on, Kourin-chan, let's go!"  
"But, Oneesan, you promised that you'd take Niichan," the child cried piteously.   
"Onegai, Oneesan, he didn't really mean what he said."  
"Oh, all right!" the girl snapped. She grabbed the young man's arm and began to   
pull him upward. "Remember, Kourin-chan, it's only because you asked me to."  
"Niichan, I love you," Kourin called out, "and please think about marrying the nice   
oneesan."  
"That kid never gives up!" the girl thought to herself as she and Nuriko shot up   
into the light and disappeared in a flash.  
Kourin felt her spirit finally slipping away from the flower she had been bound to   
for so long. "Arigatou, Oneesan," she whispered, and, then, she, too, was gone.  
The girl's next sensation was the feel of a pair of strong arms crushing her to   
someone's chest and a pair of soft, warm lips caressing her own. She shoved at   
the offending chest in horror, and the arms instantly released. Without even   
looking at the perpetrator she pulled back and viciously slapped him across the   
face. "You hentai! What do you think you're doing?!"  
The offender sat up, and she found herself staring into the burgundy eyes of   
Kourin's niichan. "Gomen nasai, ojousama," he said in a more adult sounding   
version of his mental voice. "I thought you were someone else."  
  
Glossary  
?seishi -- This literally means 'constellation', but in Fushigi Yuugi it refers to the   
seven guardians or protectors of the priestess of each animal god.   
?ojousama -- lady or miss   
?-san, -chan, and -sama -- These are all honourifics used in Japanese. San is   
generally used when you are being polite. Chan is normally used for young girls   
or small or cute things. It can also be used to imply intimacy. Sama is mainly used   
like lord or lady in English.   
?odongos -- odongos are Japanese buns filled with beans or meat. Odongos refers   
to a hair style that looks like these buns i.e. Sailor Moon.   
?chi -- In Asian religions it refers to life energy. The 'force' in "Star Wars" was   
based on the ideas of chi.   
?sumimasen -- I'm sorry, excuse me   
?oniisan, oniichan, niichan -- older brother, it can also be used to refer to any older   
male   
?miko -- a priestess or shamaness   
?oneesan, oneechan, neechan -- older sister, like oniisan it can be used to refer to   
any older female. Neechan can also be used like babe in English.   
?Arigatou, doomo arigatou gozaimasu -- Thank you   
?hentai -- pervert   
?gomen nasai -- less formal form of "I'm sorry"   
  
Comments? Questions?  
c 1997 jscaife@austin.rr.com   
  
  
  
  



	2. Suzaku no Saiai -- Chapter 2

Suzaku no Saiai: A New Legend  
  
  
Part II  
  
Standard disclaimer: All of the Fushigi Yuugi characters are the property of   
Watase Yuu, Shogakukan, Studio Pierrot, Bandai Visual, TV Tokyo, and Movic.   
Please don't sue me; I'm just a poor college student. Kourin and Jin Feng are my   
original characters. Feel free to use them, but please let me know   
first(jscaife@austin.rr.com)  
  
"Now that is certainly a handy excuse!" she snapped viciously. "Who did you   
think I was? Let's see...Miaka or are men more your style?"  
The young man's smile disappeared, and his eyes darkened to a deep purple. He   
reached out and grabbed her wrist tightly with one hand. "How do you know   
about my feelings for Miaka?"  
"You told me yourself," the girl answered angrily. "Don't you remember?"  
"I've never seen you in my life, ojousama," the young man stated coolly, "and I   
think that I might have been better off if I never had."  
"Oh, you liked being dead then?" she spat. "I can arrange that!"  
Before she could act upon her threat, a quiet, calm voice spoke. "Nuriko, I think   
that you should let go now." Both she and Nuriko turned to see the rest of the   
group staring at them in shock. The blue-haired man walked over to her and   
gently pulled her to her feet.  
"Doomo arigatou gozaimasu for saving Nuriko's life, ojousama, but don't you   
think it's time to tell us who, or what, you are, and why you bear this mark on your   
neck?"  
"I don't have any marks on my neck," the girl replied puzzled.  
"Look in this mirror and tell me that you don't have the character for star on your   
neck," the blue-haired man pressured her.  
She shivered a little at his intense tone and forced herself to look. True to his   
words a strange golden character glowed on the left side of her neck. The girl   
reached up to touch it, but her fingers encountered nothing but smooth skin. It   
was as if a golden light shone through the pattern area of skin. She dropped to   
her knees and clutched the side of her neck. In a shaking voice she asked, "What   
happened while I was healing your friend?"  
"Mitsukake, would you like to tell her or should I?" the blue-haired man asked.  
"I was the closest to her, so I suppose I'll have the most accurate account of the   
matter," the big man answered. "When you entered Nuriko's mind, your body   
began to glow with a pale, yellow chi. It gradually began to glow brighter and   
brighter until just before you and Nuriko awoke, both of you were encircled in a   
ball of blazing golden light, and the character suddenly appeared on your neck.   
After that the light was so blinding that we had to look away. The next thing we   
saw was you slapping Nuriko across the face and yelling."  
"What is so significant about this character?" the girl asked. She looked up, and   
her anxious, pain filled eyes tore and each observer's heart.  
Nuriko reached and gently tapped her shoulder. "Didn't you see my character   
when you healed me?" He opened his shirt to reveal the character for willow   
glowing crimson on his chest. "Each of us except for Miaka has one of these red   
characters somewhere on our bodies. It marks us as one of the seven seishi or   
protectors of Suzaku no Miko, Miaka."  
"So I'm one of the seven Suzaku seishi?" the girl pondered aloud. "That's   
impossible! I'm not even from this world!"  
"Actually there is already a seishi bearing that symbol," Nuriko answered gravely.   
"Since he is Konan's emperor, Hotohori couldn't come with us. However, only   
one seishi is supposed to exist for each constellation, but except for the colour of   
your chi, you seem to be a second Hotohori!"  
"I see." The girl bowed her head, and all the energy seemed to drain from her   
body. "Weren't you guys doing something before I showed up? You're not out in   
the middle of nowhere for nothing, I hope!"  
"We have to get the Shinzaho!" Miaka cried out as if she had just remembered.   
She probably had. "What are we going to do about you?" she added lamely.  
"Don't worry about me," the older girl said quietly. "I'll just find a way back home   
by myself."  
"Don't be foolish! You'll never make it back by yourself, Hotohori-chan!" Nuriko   
said harshly. "You'd better come with us. Maybe Suzaku can send you home.   
Besides you'll just end up getting into trouble on your own."  
"Are you implying that I'm too stupid to fend for myself?" the young woman   
demanded, outraged.  
"Well, you certainly were brainless enough to get stranded here in the first place!"   
Nuriko pointed out tactlessly.  
"I'll have you know that I was brought here entirely against my free will to save   
your mangy hide, so you'd better appreciate it!" she screeched.  
Nuriko grabbed her arm and began plowing through the snow. "You're coming   
with us until we figure out why you have Hotohori's character, whether you like it   
or not!"  
The girl struggled with all her strength, but she couldn't break her captor's   
superhuman grip. "You fucking bastard, let go of me!"  
Tamahome unsuccessfully tried to suppress a grin. "Y'know, Tasuki, is there any   
chance that she's related to you?"  
Nuriko heaved an immense sigh of relief when Miaka and his fellow seishi   
appeared in front of the cave about five minutes later. "Thank Suzaku you're   
here. She," with a gesture towards his companion,"is sulking and refuses to   
speak to me."  
"My name is NOT Hotohori-chan!" she pouted childishly. "I don't want to be here,   
and you won't let me leave, ...hentai!"  
"I tried to apologize to you, but you're insisting on holding a grudge about the   
whole thing," the purple-haired young man retorted. "You just can't admit that you   
enjoyed that kiss! Was it your first?"  
'Hotohori-chan' turned an interesting shade of red and spat, "I knew I should   
have taken Kourin out instead of you!" She lifted her arm and stepped forward   
wiht a murderous expression on her face. Nuriko stood frozen waiting for the   
blow to fall, only to have her suddenly slump forward against his chest.  
"She's fainted!" he exclaimed in surprise.  
"That's not so odd," Mitsukake replied evenly. "Bringing you back to life took a lot   
out of her. Her chi levels must almost be critically low. She'll need a lot of rest to   
recover. Just be glad that she's not verbally or physically abusing you for the time   
being, Nuriko."  
"What am I supposed to do with her though?" Nuriko queried piteously.   
"Hotohori-chan probably won't wake up for a long time."  
Tamahome grinned mischievously. "Since it's your fault that she passed out, and   
you two already have such a good relationship, I think that you should take care   
of her while the rest of us get the Shinzaho."  
"TAMAHOME!"Nuriko bellowed. "If I'm staying with her, at least have Miaka wear   
my bracelets. That way part of me will help to protect her," he agreed weakly.  
'Hotohori-chan' was lost in the world of dreams. She had been here many times   
before, but this time it was very different. All of the familiar landmarks were gone,   
and she wandered aimlessly with no idea which way she ought to go. She was   
standing, lost, in a peaceful meadow when he came.  
He was the most beautiful man the girl had ever seen, and he projected an aura   
of love and warmth. She longed to reach out to stroke the feathers in his   
shimmering red wings, but she was too afraid of offending him.  
He smiled down at her, and she felt herself melting under the warmth of his gaze.   
His wings enveloped her and pulled her close.  
"My dearest one," the beautiful man whispered gently, "you have come at last.   
After countless millennia I can once again have you at my side."  
"What is my purpose for being in this strange land?" she asked hoarsely. "Why   
have I been summoned?"  
The man laughed, a warm, golden sound. "You always were full of questions,   
little one. I don't think that you will ever acquire sufficient patience for things to   
come in their proper time. However, I do have a specific task for you." He made a   
great sweeping motion with his hand. "Look, and you will learn your mission   
here."  
The scene was in a palace somewhere in the strange world. "It is the royal   
palace in Konan," the man told her softly. A young man was sitting at a desk,   
leaning his head on his hands.  
"Miaka, if only I were not the emperor, I could be at your side and protect you!"  
The girl's eyes widened in surprise. This melancholy young man was the seventh   
seishi, Hotohori, and Konan's emperor! She stepped closer, wanting to ease the   
young man's pain. "Miaka is all right, Hotohori-sama. You are Hotohori-sama, are   
you not?"  
The young man looked up. "Who's there? Show yourself!"  
"Can't you see me?" she asked sadly. "I'm right here."  
He turned his head, and his sad, dark eyes met hers. The loneliness reflected in   
their depths weighed down her own soul. "Who are you?" he asked breathlessly,   
and his eyes seemed to brighten just for her.  
The girl stepped even closer and spoke the words that would alter the course of   
her life. "I am the yin to your yang. You may call me 'Kourin'." She gently   
caressed his cheek, and he bent his head...  
"You are so beautiful," she murmured and abruptly awoke to find Nuriko's face   
about three inches away from her own.  
Nuriko grinned devilishly. "Sweetheart, this is all very nice, but don't you think   
that we should get to know each other a little better first?"  
She screamed and tried to push him away. To her surprise and horror her purple-  
haired tormentor only moved a few inches away before settling back into the   
intimate embrace. "Get off me now!" she demanded heatedly. "I don't want to get   
to know you any beter, thank you!"  
Nuriko's face suddenly became very serious "Gomen nasai, but I can't do that. In   
fact I'd say that it's completely impossible."  
"Do tell me why that would be?" the girl asked acidly. Her brown eyes glittered   
dangerously with golden fire, and Nuriko mentally prepared himself for the blow   
that would probably soon follow.  
"Well, you see, Hotohori-chan, I'd love to get up, not that this isn't nice and all,   
but I have a terrible cramp in my back..." he began teasingly.  
"Cut to the chase, and give me the main point," she growled menacingly.  
"...but one of your hands is tangled in my hair," he ended sheepishly.  
The girl blushed a beautiful crimson and removed her left hand from Nuriko's hair   
as if it had burned her. She scrambled backwards from the young man, trying to   
put as much space between them as possible.  
Nuriko's eyes narrowed. "Is it so painful for you to touch me?" he asked   
chokingly. "I made one careless mistake, and you're going to hold it against me   
forever?"  
She looked down in embarrassment and said quaveringly. "It's not you so much   
as my past. I was in a bad relationship a little over a year ago. I thought that my   
boyfriend, James, really loved me. Through my feelings for him he managed to   
isolate me from my family and my few friends, and I didn't discover what he really   
wanted until it was almost too late. James was hungry for power, and he wanted   
to use a spell he called 'Bochuu magic' to take my chi and become stronger. I   
was so hurt and angry about being betrayed that I lost all control and attempted a   
chi blast. Somehow he deflected my energy, and my entire family died. Since   
then I've sworn never to use my chi in anger ever again."  
"What does that have to do with me?" Nuriko asked stupidly. "I'm truly sorry for   
your loss, but..."  
"Nuriko no baka!" she exclaimed. "I haven't trusted any man since that day, and   
despite your effeminate appearance, you are a man!"  
"Calm down, Hotohori-chan," he said nervously. "Please don't get mad at me   
again, okay?"  
"For the last time my name is not, and never will be, 'Hotohori-chan'! she   
continued heatedly. "Even if I share his sign, I am my own person, and I refuse to   
be seen as an extension of him or any other man!"  
"Oops, I messed up there," Nuriko thought resignedly and took a deep breath.   
"Gomen, gomen, Hoto-, what do you want us to call you anyway? Without any   
given name for you, Hotohori-chan seemed to fit you best."  
"As an honourary seishi I feel no compunction to give my real name. Instead I will   
have one real name and one symbolic one," she smiled brightly. "You may call   
me Kourin."  
Her companion started at her chosen name, but recovered with, "What is your   
real name then, Kourin-sama?"  
She frowned a little. "It's probably best that I don't give my personal name right   
now. My past has a bad habit of finding me in the most inconvinient places, and I   
don't want to endanger the rest of you. Besides you don't all know each other's   
real names, do you? Only Miaka and Tamahome know who you really are, ne,   
Ryuuen?"  
The shocked look on Nuriko's face made up for the stress of the past few hours   
several times over. "How did you know that?" he finally gasped.  
Kourin smiled teasingly, and her entire body seemed illuminated. "Don't you   
remember at all, Ryuu-chan? You told me yourself, A...NA...TA." She punctuated   
the last three syllables by gazing up at him through her long, thick eyelashes.   
Nuriko felt his head begin to spin, and he wondered what was wrong with him.   
Women had never made him feel like this before. What had she done to him   
during the healing process that made him feel liquid and wobbly inside now?  
He decided to return to safer topics and nervously queried, "Did you have a good   
rest?"  
Kourin looked puzzled by the rapid change of topics but civilly replied, "I had a   
strange dream about a beautiful man with red wings. He showed me your   
seventh seishi, Hotohori, and I think that he wants me to go to Konan."  
"You saw Suzaku in your dreams?" Nuriko gasped astonished. "What are you   
supposed to do once you get to Konan, Kourin?"  
"Well, I don't really know," she sighed. "I think that the beautiful man would have   
told me if SOMEONE hadn't woken me up!"  
"Hey, you woke up on your own!" Nuriko said defensively. "Why don't you smile   
more instead of being sarcastic all of the time? You look so pretty and sweet   
when you smile."  
Kourin looked up quizzically, and Nuriko began to wish that he'd swallowed those   
last words. She'd seemed so depressed and unhappy, and now angry, that he'd   
just wanted to cheer her up. However, Nuriko feared that his compliment would   
earn him another slap. "Anou..." he began nervously,"I probably shouldn't have   
said that, ne?" He dropped his gaze, and his cheeks infused wiht burning heat.   
Nuriko waited an eternity for his judgement and jumped at the gentle touch on his   
shoulder. He turned slightly to gaze directly into Kourin's brown eyes. Like the   
sun coming out from behind a cloud, she smiled, smiled at him, for him alone.  
"Arigatou, Ryuuen," Kourin said quietly. "Honto ni arigatou."  
Nuriko knew he was trapped the minute that she smiled at him. Her whole face lit   
up, and he couldn't tear his eyes away from the golden flame. Like a moth the   
young man drew closer and closer to the source of the beckoning fire. He bent   
his head towards hers,not caring if he was slapped or not.  
Kourin herself had become mesmerized by the heat in Nuriko's gaze. It had been   
a long time since someone had looked at her like that. Mentally she berated   
herself for her weakness, but her body refused to respond to her brain's   
warnings. The uncanny refrain of,"After you save him, why don't you marry   
Niichan?" kept running through her head. She knew that she didn't have any real   
feelings for this young man; how could she, they had just met, but at the moment   
the physical attraction was more than enough.  
"Nuriko, we got the Shinzaho!" Miaka's cheerful voice carried from the back of   
the cavern.  
The spell was broken. Kourin glared up into Nuriko's face. "What the hell do you   
think you're doing?" she hissed dangerously.  
Nuriko's hands fell limply from her shoulders. A cold, empty space had taken the   
place of his heart, but he forced himself to smile wryly. "We should have called   
you 'Tasuki-chan' instead, Kourin, because you sure talk like him!"  
"I heard that!" Tasuki yelled in mock anger.  
Kourin smiled in Tasuki's general direction and stated loudly, "Actually, Nuriko, I   
think that your red-headed friend would be a better 'Tasuki-chan'. He's SOOO   
kawaii!" She tossed a challenging glance over her shoulder as if daring him to   
contradict her.  
Tamahome joined in the fun since he absolutely couldn't pass up a chance to rag   
on Tasuki. "Ooo, Gen-chan, I think the lady likes you!" he teased. He switched to   
an extremely high pitched falsetto. "He's SOOO kawaii!" and he batted his   
eyelashes dramatically.  
"Tamahome!" Tasuki threatened, pantomiming reaching for his tessen. "You   
know that I HATE women!"  
Kourin jumped up and ran to meet him. She playfully wrapped herself around him   
and began to play with one of her victim's long earrings. "Are you sure that you   
don't want to play with me, Tasuki-chan?" she purred sensuously. She stroked   
one of her hands down towards his waist and teasingly pulled at his belt buckle.   
"A big, strong man like you surely isn't scared of me?"  
Tasuki had turned several shades of red and now was rather successfully turning   
purple, while his fellow seishi laughed at his obvious discomfort. Nuriko finally   
spoke softly but firmly. "Kourin, I think you should leave him alone now. You've   
had your fun."  
"You're no fun, Nuriko,"she pouted before snapping,"anyway, who are you to tell   
me what to do, my keeper?"  
"They're already arguing again," Chichiri sighed. "How are we going to survive   
long enough to find out why she's here?"  
To his immense surprise Kourin answered the rhetorical question. "I need one of   
you to take me to Konan to meet Hotohori. Once I arrive there I think that more of   
my purpose will be revealed."  
"She thinks that she saw Suzaku in her dreams," Nuriko scoffed. "He told her that   
she needs to go to Konan to fully understand the reason that she's here."  
The short-haired girl spun around and grabbed his collar furiously. "I don't know   
what your problem is, but I'm here, and you all clearly don't have the power to   
send me home, so we all have to deal with it!" She pulled down her collar to   
reveal the entire sign and continued. "This sign marks me as one of Suzaku's   
chosen, right? If he had spoken to one of your fellow seishi or Miaka, would you   
doubt them now, Nuriko? I think not! I don't know why we are constantly at each   
other's throats, but I am willing to make an effort if you are."  
"How magnamious of you!" Nuriko sneered. "Neechan, you started this whole   
mess by overreacting when I mistakenly kissed you..."  
"If you hadn't given in to your testosterone guided impulses and thought before   
you acted..." Kourin interrupted furiously.  
"...we wouldn't be in this situation right now!" both finished. The two opponents   
stared at each in surprise for a moment while the other seishi quietly conferred   
among themselves. Tasuki cautiously sidled up to them with one hand   
strategically placed on his tessen.  
"Anou...," he stuttered, "we declared it a draw, and, Kourin-sama, Nuriko will be   
your escort back to Konan."  
"I'm not setting one foot out of this cave with him!" the girl answered curtly,   
turning her back to Nuriko.  
"That's fine by me!" Nuriko retorted. "I don't want to take you anywhere anyway!"  
"Nuriko is the most logical choice," Chichiri desperately explained. "Because of   
his fatal injuries, he is weaker than he normally would be, and we don't want to   
risk his life unnecessarily."  
"I don't trust him," she stated flatly. "He's already tried to take advantage of me   
three times, and when there's no one but me to stop him, who knows what that   
hentai will do!" Kourin turned to Nuriko with golden fire burning in her eyes. "I'll go   
with you on one condition. If you even lay one finger on me when it isn't   
absolutely necessary, I will drain all the chi from your body, wakatta?"  
Nuriko gulped at the girl's fierce words. Her body language alone was a clear   
indicator that she was fully capable of carrying out her threat. "Wakatta, Kourin,   
but may I add my own condition?"  
"It depends on what it is," she returned smartly.  
"When we leave here, you will pretend to be my sister. That way no one will find   
it odd that a young woman is traveling alone with a man, and I will be better able   
to protect you," he answered, his burgandy eyes boring into hers.  
"Who the FUCK is going to believe that you two are sibs?" Tasuki interjected   
contemptuously. "Kourin doesn't even look like anyone from this world."  
"Well, if you're so smart, why don't you suggest something?" Nuriko snapped, his   
thin veneer of composure fading.  
"Eeto..." Tasuki stammered sheepishly. "I know you're going to hate this, but you   
might be able to pass Kourin off as your foreign wife."  
"Nani?!" Kourin and Nuriko shrieked in horror. "There's no way we're pretending   
to be married!"  
"Anou...Kourin-sama looks too much like the Hins of far eastern Kutou to be safe   
on her own," Chiriko said quietly. "Even before their extermination by the current   
emperor of Kutou, they were hated and feared. Without protection you will face   
prejudice and torment wherever you go, Kourin-sama."  
"Were the Hin so terrible a people?" the golden brown-haired girl asked sadly.  
"Not at all,"the young boy smiled sweetly. "They were just different and,   
therefore, misunderstood and shunned."  
"Nuriko, it seems that I need you to get me to Konan safely, so I should apologize   
for all of the things I've said so far. I jumped to conclusions and was terribly   
unfair. Could we start over as friends?" Kourin extended her right hand towards   
him and firmly pasted a smile on her face. "Onegaishimasu?"  
Nuriko looked down and shuffled his feet. "I really ought to be the one   
apologizing. I provoked you without any reason or any thought to the   
consequences." His eyes met Kourin's shyly across the gap between them. "I   
swear on the memory of my sister that I will protect you even at the cost of my   
own life." Nuriko strode forward and grasped the girl's hand firmly. "For now and   
forever, I am you devoted protector and friend, Kourin-sama, or I am not worthy   
of bearing the title of seishi."  
Kourin gifted him with another true smile and clumsily curtsied. "Nuriko-sama, I   
would be most honoured to be your friend, and I accept you as my one true   
guardian."  
  
Glossary  
?ojousama -- lady or miss   
?doomo arigatou gozaimasu, arigatou -- thank you   
?chi -- life energy   
?Suzaku no Miko -- priestess of Suzaku, one of the four animal gods   
?seishi -- protector or warrior of any god's Miko   
?Bochuu magic -- a spell that raises chi energy by exchanging male and female   
energy. From what I have seen in FY it is normally the male who gains increased   
power.   
?baka -- idiot, stupid   
?gomen -- sorry   
?-sama, -chan, -san -- three Japanese honourifics   
?ne -- a question marker that indicates the expectation of an affirmative response   
?anata -- literally 'you', but it is normally only used by a wife for her husband. In   
this context it is more like 'darling'.   
?anou, eeto -- Japanese equivalents for 'um'   
?honto ni -- truly, really   
?niichan -- affectionate form of older brother   
?kawaii -- cute   
?neechan -- the affectionate form of older sister, but in the story it is used more like   
"babe" or "chick"   
?tessen -- Iron fan. This refers to Tasuki's special fan that shoots fire.   
?nani -- what   
?onegaishimasu -- a very polite form of please   
?Suzaku no Saiai -- beloved of Suzaku   
  
Questions? Comments?  
c 1997 jscaife@austin.rr.com   
  
  



	3. Suzaku no Saiai -- Chapter 3

Suzaku no Saiai  
  
  
Part III  
  
Fushigi Yuugi is owned by Watase Yuu, Shogakukan, Studio Pierro, Bandai   
Visual, TV Tokyo, and Movic. No disrespect was meant by the use of their   
characters. Please don't sue me; I'm a poor college student, so it won't do you   
any good. Kourin and Jin Feng are my original characters. Feel free to use them,   
but let me know at jscaife@austin.rr.com.  
  
  
"You should hurry to get back to Konan as quickly as possible," Chichiri advised.   
"If Suzaku has need for Kourin-sama, he will not rest until she arrives." And the   
sooner the two of you get out of here, the lower the chance of one of you   
strangling the other! he thought wryly.  
"Do you still have my horse or do I need to borrow one of yours?" Nuriko asked.  
"We have to share a horse?" Kourin inquired in shock. "Sorry, I'll walk, thanks."  
"Hey, what happened to 'let's be friends'?" Nuriko said exasperated, grabbing her   
arm.  
"I won't sit that close to any male regardless of whether he's my friend or not," the   
girl replied cooly.  
"Well, aren't we Miss High and Mighty!" Nuriko snapped. "There's only one horse   
available, so you'll have to accustom your tender sensibilities to being close to   
me or I'll throw you across the saddle."  
Kourin glared at him for a moment, and it seemed that she would spit out another   
fiery rejoinder. To everyone's surprise she meekly bowed her head and   
mumbled,"Wakatta, Nuriko. Gomen nasai."  
The strange pair travelled until dusk fell. It had been a silent journey over the   
deserted countryside of Hokkan. Kourin had ignored her companion completely   
as if he were merely an annoying stranger she had picked up along the road. The   
only real interaction had been when Nuriko had forced a wool cloak on the girl to   
keep her from catching a chill. In the dark winter night the young seishi   
desperately searched for an inn. He doubted that Kourin was up to camping out   
in the harsh climate, and he wasn't enamored of the idea himself. Finally, a small   
inn appeared out of the darkness.  
"Kourin, we're going to stop for the night," he said softly. "We need to get a hot   
bath and some food for you, so you don't get sick."  
No response came from the wollen wrapped bundle pressed against his back. He   
cautiously twisted around and lifted a fold of the cloak to reveal Kourin's   
peacefully sleeping face. Her breath feathered over his face in soft gusts, and   
Nuriko smiled gently.  
"I don't want to wake her up because she looks so gentle asleep," he murmured   
to himself, "but I need to get her warmed up."  
He carefully dismounted and gathered the sleeping girl in his arms. Tentatively,   
Nuriko rapped the solid wooden door with his foot. A robust, middle-aged woman   
answered. "Greetings, traveller. How may I be of service to you?"  
"My...my wife and I need lodgings for the night," Nuriko choked out.  
"She's certainly a sweet looking thing," the innkeeper admired, peering into the   
cloak. "Are you newly weds?"  
Nuriko blushed deeply and silently praised the gods that Kourin was sleeping.   
"We...we...were married yesterday, and we're heading back to my father's   
business in Konan."  
"Really?" the woman wondered aloud. "Young man, isn't Hokkan a long way to   
come for a bride?"  
"It was a business alliance," Nuriko improvised. "Her father weaves some of the   
best wollens in the four kingdoms, and my father is a cloth merchant. We can get   
a lower price with the union of our two families. Beside the girl's half Hin, so her   
father threw in a very generous dowry as well."  
"Half Hin, ne?" the innkeeper mused. "There's not many that would take one so   
accursed like that..."  
Nuriko shrugged. "I find her peculiar looks attractive and the dowry and business   
arrangements more attractive still."  
The innkeeper grinned broadly. "You're a young man after my own heart! Come   
in, come in! I'm sure I can find a private corner for you two."  
Kourin woke to a feeling of delicious warmth and a wonderful smell. She lazily   
stretched, realizing how hungry she was. She absentmindedly took in her   
surroundings while deliberating on leaving her warm nest. Nuriko was sitting in   
an armchair in front of the fireplace gazing deep into the flames. His eyes were   
shadowed, and his whole posture suggested defeat and melancholy."  
"Nuriko?" Kourin queried hesitantly. "Daijoubu ka?"  
Her voice seemed to return his energy, and the purple-haired young man turned   
to her instantly. "Kourin, you're finally awake. Come have some dinner.   
Afterwards I'll have the innkeeper prepare you a hot bath. Doesn't that sound   
nice?"  
"Don't ignore my question, Nuriko," the girl implored. "You seemed so sad."  
"Betsu ni, Kourin," Nuriko said softly. "I just feel like the other seishi wanted to get   
rid of me. I had died! I wasn't supposed to be here, so they sent me off with you."  
"No, that's not it!" Kourin accused him. "There's something else, too."  
"I just feel like something is missing inside of me," the young seishi whispered   
painfully,"something that was once very important."  
"Missing something?" Kourin asked nervously from her position on the bed.  
Nuriko continued as if he hadn't heard her quiet words. "I've done things today   
that I never would have done in the past! Kissing a girl and then trying to blow it   
off as a 'misunderstanding'! I'd never even kissed a girl before today, Kourin. For   
the first time my yang energy is stronger than my yin energy, and I'm becoming   
fully a man, but I'm losing a part of myself in the process."  
Kourin hopped out of the bed and walked over to kneel on the floor at the young   
man's feet. "I know...what's gone," she whispered softly, lifting her head to meet   
her companion's painfilled eyes. "For the first time since her death eight years   
ago, your imoutosan is gone."  
Nuriko gripped her shoulders tightly, and Kourin could feel the circulation leave   
her upper arms. "How do you know, Kourin?!" Nuriko rasped terribly. The girl   
stared at him in shock, and he shook her impatiently. "Tell me! How do you   
know?"  
Kourin forced herself to keep her voice steady, and she unflinchingly met his   
gaze. "I'm the one who finally set her free."  
Nuriko threw her from him with a sharp cry. "You had no right to do that! She was   
mine! Kourin-chan belonged to me!"  
"She was a person, a human being," Kourin protested. "She didn't belong to   
anyone!"  
"You don't understand anything!" the purple-haired young man spat back.   
"Kourin-chan and I were almsot the same person! I was devestated when she   
died, and her memory was all I had left!"  
The air around his companion began to crackly dangerously, and she began to   
manifest a golden aura. "I left you your memories of her, Nuriko," Kourin said   
darkly. "I just freed her soul, so that she could find rest in the afterlife and be   
reincarnated." A sparkling ball of yellow chi glowed malevolently in her hands.   
"You say you're a man, Nuriko," she sneered, "but you need to let go of the past   
and GROW UP!"  
Nuriko stepped towards her menacingly, but the blazing chi stopped him. "I'll   
have the innkeeper send up a hot bath for you," he said, the rage barely   
concealed under his neutral words. "There's dinner on the table, and there are   
some fresh clothes for you on the chair. I'll be downstairs if you need me for   
anything."  
After Nuriko left, Kourin let her chi dissipate and sank exhausted into a nearby   
armchair. What had she done? She had promised herself never to use her chi in   
anger, but what had she just done?  
A sharp rapping broke into her train of thought, followed by the door swinging   
open."I'm just bringing up the hot bath" a cheery, unfamiliar voice rang out. A   
stocky, middle-aged woman appeared pulling something around the edge of the   
door. Her eyes widened slightly when she saw the despondent girl huddled in the   
chair, and she let go of the heavy washtub and wiped her large, capable hands   
on her apron. "What's the matter, dearie? Did you and your husband just   
experience your first argument of married life?"  
Kourin lifted her head and dropped it again. "My...my husband, I suppose he is,   
isn't he? We don't love each other though. It was a business arrangement   
between our fathers."  
"Was there someone else back home that you were in love with?" the older   
woman prodded gently.  
The girl opened her mouth to deny any such previous romantic attachment, but   
words tumbled unbidden to her lips. "He had long, flowing, dark hair a shade   
lighter than the night, and his eyes were beautiful dark pools. He was a master   
swordsman and a soldier, but with me he was always gentle and kind. I loved   
him with all my heart, and he loved me in return. He asked my father for my   
hand, but Otousan refused, saying that no daughter of his would marry a rootless   
mercenary and wander through the world without a place to call her own. Shortly   
afterwards, Otousan arranged my marriage to Ryuuen. I think he was afraid that I   
would run away and follow my heart."  
The older woman smiled at her gently. "It will all be for the best, my dear. I was   
married off to my husband when I was a child of thirteen, but we were content   
together, and when he died I inherited this inn. He gave me the means to be   
independent. Besides, child, Hin blood will breed true nine times out of ten, and if   
your Otousan hadn't sent you away,you would have followed your heart and   
disgraced your entire family."  
"Is to love and desire love in return so bad?" Kourin smiled wryly.  
"Of course not," the innkeeper soothed,"but love will come in time with your   
marriage and a new life." She stood up briskly. "Now, ojousan, how about a nice   
hot bath to restore your spirits?"  
Kourin soaked in the near scalding water until all the warmth was gone. The   
innkeeper had bustled in and out the entire time to 'keep an eye on her' and   
make sure she ate some supper. Kourin stepped out of the tub and wrapped   
herself in a huge, fluffy towel. "Where did my clothes go?" she asked in   
confusion?  
"Oh, those things" the innkeeper replied. "I took the liberty of taking them   
downstairs to wash, strange garments. Your husband picked out some clothes   
for you while you were sleeping." She shook out some complicated looking outfits   
that had been laying on a chair. "See, aren't they pretty? This dark burgandy   
should look lovely on you!"  
"Anou..." Kourin searched for words, "I don't know how to put those on." She felt   
her face burn in embarrassment. "I've always dressed in clothes like the ones   
you took away, so..."  
"Your mother must have let you run wild," the innkeeper tsked disapprovingly. "I'd   
be happy to help you dress, dearie."  
Meanwhile, downstairs Nuriko had just finished his third 'Nuriko special' and was   
ready to order a fourth. Kourin's words still rang in his head. "She was a person,   
a human being! She didn't belong to anyone!" He felt hopelessly betrayed by the   
young woman he had sworn to protect, but part of himself also knew that it wasn't   
really her fault. Nuriko sighed; he had handled the situation badly, and once   
again within the span of twenty-four hours he was going to have to apologize.   
"Bartender, I'll have another one of the same," he called out.  
"Sir, don't you think you ought to slow down a little?" the bartender asked.  
"It's the only way to get her off my mind" Nuriko replied, slightly slurred.  
"Oh, woman troubles," the bartender grinned sympathetically. "Who is she, your   
girlfriend?"  
"Acshully, she's my wife." Nuriko let the alcohol take control. "You see..."  
By the time Kourin came downstairs to find her 'husband', Nuriko was riproaring   
drunk, and his story had been passed around the entire room. One of the men   
looked up as she approached and shouted, "Here comes the bitch now!"  
The men raised their tankards to cheers of "the bitch, the bitch", and Kourin   
scanned the crowd furiously until she found the object of her wrath.  
"Nurko," she growled, "I'm going to kill you!"  
As she picked her way purposefully through the crowd, one man grabbed her   
arm. He pulled her towards him, and his ale soaked breath made her gag. "If   
your husband don't want you, why don't ya be nice to me, girlie? Everyone knows   
that those Hin bitches are so hot between the legs that they'll burn up if they don't   
get a man."  
The girl turned livid and spat, "Don't ever talk about me or my mother like that   
again!" She yanked away from his lecherous grasp and waded through the sea of   
men. After five minutes of evading more lecherous men and crude comments   
she found herself face to face with Nuriko. He was clearly tanked off his hiney, to   
say the least. He stared up at her blurrily before managing, "Kourin, what are you   
doing here?" and then relapsing into a drunken stupor.  
Kourin slapped him across the face with all of her strength. "That is for making   
me look like a whore in from of your drinking buddies!" She slapped him again.   
"That is for blaming me for your sister's disappearance!" She slapped him   
viciously one final time and burst into tears of frustration and rage. "And that is for   
making me 'marry' you in the first place!" She waited for a moment as if expecting   
and answer, but Nuriko only stared at her in shock. "You said that you protect   
me, that we'd be friends, but if this is how you protect me, I'll just take care of   
myself!" Kourin turned and ran from the room wanting nothing more than to hide   
from the prying eyes of the men.  
Nuriko looked up at the bartender with an uncomprehending gaze and slurred,   
"She wash mad, washn't she?"  
The bartender sighed heavily. "I'd say she was mad, my friend. I pity you come   
morning."  
Several hours later Nuriko woke up with a terrible crick in his back and a burning   
in his face. He squinted around the dark room blearily and gingerly rubbed his   
cheek where it had been pressed against the rough wood surface of the bar. He   
was completely alone in the darkness, and his liquor-fogged mind struggled to   
remember why he was there at all. A spark of an idea glimmered in his mind, and   
the young man clumsily made his way up the stairs to his room.  
Kourin was dreaming again, but Suzaku did not greet her at the gate to the   
subconcious. Instead Hotohori came towards her with a gentle smile on his   
beautiful face.  
"Kourin, I've been longing to see you again," he spoke huskily. "I had to know if   
you were real or nothing more than a figment of my lovesick imagination."  
"It's only been a few hours," Kourin protested softly. "Surely you aren't so   
lovesick that time drags for you?"  
"You don't understand, Kourin," Hotohori whispered as he leaned towards her. "I   
thought I loved Miaka, but she loves Tamahome. I never had a chance to win her   
heart, but maybe you are the one meant to be my empress. Is the the reason that   
you bear my sign?" He carefully caressed her neck with his hand and briefly   
replaced his hand with his warm, soft lips. "Hurry to Konan, Kourin! I don't know   
how long I can last without you by my side. Farewell...for now." Hotohori's tall,   
elegant figure began melting away into the sudden mist.  
Kourin reached out blindly, desperately trying to find her companion's comforting   
warmth. The dreamworld was no longer welcoming and friendly, and a flash of   
terror ran through her."Hotohori, don't leave me! Onegai, Hotohori! Come back!   
Take me with you!" the girl cried frantically.  
Nuriko looked up from his spot by the fire at the girl's cry. He tried to convince   
himself that it was the least that she deserved for her earlier behaviour, but his   
heart ached to see Kourin in such obvious distress. He pulled a chair to the side   
of the bed and gently grasped the trembling girl's flailing hand.  
Suddenly, Nuriko was there with her, holding her hand and reassuring her.   
"Kourin, daijoubu, daijoubu. I'm here; you're not alone."  
She threw herself onto his chest and began to sob uncontrollably. "He left me   
here all by myself, and it was so scary."  
Nuriko gently stroked the frightened girl's hair. "I'm sure Hotohori didn't want to   
leave you. Something must have happened so he had to return."  
However, Kourin's thoughts had already turned from her 'abandonment' by   
Hotohori. "Nuriko, I'm so sorry! Gomen nasai! I said some terrible things, but you   
still came to rescue me!"  
Nuriko grimaced before he replied. "I deserved most of the things you said,   
Kourin. I ought to be the one apologizing."  
Kourin pulled away from him and looked down clearing her throat awkwardly. "Do   
you realize how many times we've had to say 'I'm sorry' in less than twenty-four   
hours? It seems that no matter what we do, we're always hurting one another."  
Nuriko shrugged eloquently. "So we fight a lot now. That will change when we   
begin to feel more comfortable together."  
The girl looked up at him with resolute eyes. "I don't think so, Ryuuen," and he   
shivered at the mention of his real name. "I think that once we get to Konan we   
shouldn't be around each other anymore."  
Her companion grabbed her shoulders and got up in her face. "What do you think   
you're saying, Kourin?! I made an oath to protect you on my honour as a seishi!   
Only I can revoke that oath!"  
She looked at him dispassionately and seemed to compose herself before   
continuing. "That's exactly what I'm asking you to do," Kourin said softly.  
"And if I won't?" Nuriko demanded belligerently.  
"I'll find a way to make you want to take it back."  
  
Questions? Comments?  
c 1997 jscaife@austin.rr.com   
  
  



	4. Suzaku no Saiai -- Chapter 4

Suzaku no Saiai  
  
  
Part IV  
  
Nuriko awoke the next morning with a splitting headache and discovered himself   
gently holding Kourin's hand. "What am I doing here?" he mused quietly.   
"Chikusho, my head is killing me!" Slowly, the events of the past night began to   
filter into his fog-filled brain: their terrible fight over his sister, his excessive   
drinking and complaining to his companions at the bar about Kourin, Kourin   
slapping him and generally making a scene. However, for the life of him, Nuriko   
couldn't remember how he had ended up at the side of the bed cradling Kourin's   
hand.  
Once again the young man marvelled at how sweet and innocent the girl looked   
while sleeping. All the harsh lines were smoothed away, and she almost seemed   
to smile. Suddenly, the dark lashes flipped up, and Kourin's slightly husky voice   
asked, "Nuriko?! You're really still here?! Didn't you get the hint last night?"  
"What do you mean?" Nuriko asked in surprise. "I thought I apologized for the   
whole mess last night...or was that just a dream?"  
Kourin's eyebrows raised in disbelief. "You really don't remember, do you?" she   
sighed heavily.  
"Remember what?" the young man retorted, growing a bit irritated.  
"You aren't capable of remembering what your dreamself does, are you?" the girl   
asked. She shook her head violently. "Of course, you can't," she scolded herself.   
"You've never been taught how to. Besides if you had you'd know exactly what   
I'm talking about."  
"You don't have to act like I'm crippled or something because I can't do your   
fancy magic tricks!" Nuriko snapped, wounded. However,despite his frustration,   
he did not pull his hand away.  
Kourin sat up with an upset expression on her face. "Ryuuen, I didn't mean it like   
that!" she said with tears in her voice. "Dreamself remembrance is part of the chi   
development techniques in my world. It was thoughtless of me to think that you'd   
know what I was talking about." Her dark eyes teared up, and she looked down   
with frustration and self-deprecation written in every line of her body.  
Nuriko covered their entwined hands with his free one. "Don't cry," he urged   
softly. "We managed to hurt each other once again, didn't we?" He squeezed her   
hand and deftly pulled her other hand into the pile. "No matter how many times   
you stomp on my feelings or ideas," or my heart he added silently, "I won't leave   
you. I've sworn to protect you and until this adventure is over, you are mine to   
care for and cherish boku no,...iie,ore no okusan." Nuriko lifted the girl's hands to   
his lips and kissed them reverently.  
Kourin looked up with a smile that was like a ray of sunlight piercing through the   
clouds. "You do remember what we discussed," she said with delight. She pulled   
her hands from his and clapped them like a child.  
Nuriko felt bereft without the physical contact, but he grinned mischievously. "I'm   
not entirely an amateur, ojousama," he teased. "However, since you are so   
skilled, you must allow me to learn from you."  
Kourin's smile grew wider, and her eyes sparkled with joy. Nuriko's clowning   
brought happiness to her heart, which had too often been burdened with   
bitterness and sorrow. She leaned back against the headboard and let her inner   
happiness bubble up to her lips.  
The husky, throaty sound jolted Nuriko from his personal reverie. Kourin's head   
was thrown back exposing her soft throat, and her hair was like a golden-brown   
halo. The nightshirt had a little to reveal pale diamond of skin and hinted at the   
curves underneath. He swallowed and began to breath deeply. Those stranges   
sensations again! Looking at women never had aroused him before, but now...   
He knew the right thing for him to do was to look away, but the young seishi   
couldn't tear his eyes from the innocently erotic scene. The girl seemed infused   
with a golden glow, and, for a moment, Nuriko could have sworn that she had a   
pair of golden wings.  
Abruptly, Kourin's laughter stopped. "In all seriousness, Nuriko, I could probably   
teach you. As a Suzaku seishi you already have some chi abilities; I just need to   
show you how to maximize them."  
"Nani?" Nuriko looked around as though he'd just woken up. "Did I miss   
something important?"  
"Baka," Kourin said with a smile, "I said I'd teach you, unless, you weren't serious   
about learning."  
Nuriko blushed a little. He'd just been trying to cheer her up, but...if he could   
travel through dreams... "I'd like that a lot, Kourin. It will certainly make travelling   
more interesting."  
"Good," the girl said brightly, hopping out of the bed. "We'll start today."  
Nuriko puzzled over the situation as Kourin ran off to get dressed. She confused   
him so much! She seemed to have completely forgiven him, but why? And she   
still wanted to get rid of him as her protector. Had his dreamself apologized or   
was she going to ignore the fight to concentrate on her second objective, getting   
rid of him for good?  
"Anou..., Kourin," Nuriko called out suddenly.  
"Nani, Ryuuen?" she answered. "I am dressing right now."  
"I just wanted to know why you aren't mad at me," the young man said lamely. "I   
behaved so badly last night."  
Kourin walked around the edge of the changing screen in the red dress he had   
chosen for her. She came towards him and put her hands on his shoulders,   
forcing him to face her. "Nuriko, you saved me from being trapped in a   
nightmarish dreamworld. For that I can forgive anything and forget much."  
"Kourin, ari...arigatou," he stuttered nervously and clumsily embraced her. To the   
young man's delight she snuggled a little closer into his warmth and trustingly put   
her head on his shoulder. The girl's breath feathered over his skin bringing a   
return of the disturbing feelings.  
"Ryuuen," she said contentedly, "I'm so glad that you're my friend. I don't know   
what I'd do without you."  
Nuriko felt his blood run strangely cold. "Yes, friends," he said flatly. Why was he   
so disappointed? He desperately struggled to regain his ocomposure. "When did   
I become Ryuuen, Kourin? Yesterday it was Nuriko this and Nuriko that, when it   
wasn't 'you bastard' and other choice epithets."  
"If you don't like it, I can stop," Kourin said hastily,"but since you are my   
husband...at least until we reach Konan."  
"No, no, don't worry about it," Nuriko said quickly. "It sounds good when you say   
it." The girl looked at him quizzically. "I mean I like the sound of my name on your   
lips...I mean it's all right if you call me Ryuuen."  
Kourin pulled away from him and turned towards the window. "Nuriko, there is   
something we need to clarify," she said softly. "I'm not interested in you   
romantically. I need your protection, and you would be a valuable friend, but   
there's already someone I'm meant to be with."  
"What makes you think I'm interested in you?" Nuriko blustered. "You're annoying   
and a harpy, and you swear like a bandit..."  
"Please don't try to lie to yourself," Kourin said quietly. "Somehow when I saved   
your life and freed Kourin, I replaced her in your heart. I can't explain it, but now   
you think that you love me."  
"Who is he?" the young man blurted out impulsively. "How can you have found   
someone so quickly?"  
"You're one to talk," the girl pointed out. "We've known each other for less than   
twenty four hours, and your mind's already decided that I'm the woman of your   
dreams."  
"Just tell me who he is!" Nuriko begged. "Is it Tasuki or Chichiri or maybe   
Mitsukake? You two seemed awfully chummy yesterday."  
"No, it's none of them," Kourin answered quietly. "In fact we've never met in   
person, but I think I know why Suzaku wants me to go to Konan. I'm to be with   
him, at least for now."  
Nuriko's eyes widened, and his face paled. "Masaka! Kourin, you don't mean   
Hotohori, do you?"  
She turned to face him with a carefully expressionless face. "By this sign on my   
neck," the sign began to glow, "I have been marked as being tied to him, perhaps   
for eternity."  
"You've never even met!" Nuriko protested. "How can you be in love with   
someone you've only seen in your dreams?"  
"My dreams don't lie," the girl whispered softly, "and besides I never said I loved   
him. I am drawn to him like a moth to a flame, but is that love? Besides,   
NURIKO, do you really know what love is? I am the first woman you have ever   
'loved' that you thought you could have, and now you're an expert! Maybe you   
don't have any feelings for me at all beyond an intense gratitude for saving your   
life!"  
The young man strode across the room and grabbed her by the shoulders. His   
face was white with the strain of containing his emotions, and his violet eyes had   
darkened to a deep, rich purple. "Maybe I don't know what love is, Kourin! Maybe   
I'm inexperienced with life, but I know one thing. I can never touch and hold you   
the way my confusing, burning emotions tell me to! I must be a man and hold   
back!"  
"Maybe restraint isn't the best thing in love," the girl retorted, "though in your case   
it's probably misguided lust!"  
"Baka!" Nuriko spat angrily. "I would never forgive myself if I took something from   
you that was not offered to me freely! Everytime I've made you cry, it feels like a   
part of my heart has died, and I live only for the sunshine of your smile. That   
warmth and light is the only thing I'm living for now. Kourin, I think that hontou ni   
aishiteru!"  
"You couldn't touch me anyway," the girl said coyly. She hooked a finger under   
his collar and pulled. "Remember our deal. You touch me in anyway I don't like,   
and I drain all the chi from you body." She stopped and cocked her head, and a   
look of panic crossed her face. "Someone's at the door!" she whispered   
anxiously.  
"Probably wanted to see if any bodies needed to be hauled away," Nuriko said   
dryly.  
Kourin fluttered her hands nervously, and she began to hyperventilate. "We can't   
let them know that I'm not really your wife!" she gasped. "It would cause a terrible   
scandal!"  
"Shh, calm down, little one," Nuriko said soothingly like he were calming a small   
child. "I'll take care of everything. Will you do what I tell you without questions or   
recriminations later?" Kourin nodded her head slowly. "Good, it'll be all right."  
Nuriko wrapped the trembling girl in his embrace, and she snuggled against his   
chest for comfort. He waited for her shivering to subside before slipping one arm   
around her waist and capturing her head with the other. "Gomen nasai, Kourin,   
for taking advantage of the situation," he thought, and he covered her lips with   
his. She jerked back in surprise, but his strong hold kept her captured. He   
hungrily tasted her mouth and her lips open to accept his questing tongue. He   
allowed his hands to begin to roam a little, and Nuriko was surprised at how long   
he was able to masquerade as a woman with all of the anatomical differences. A   
jolt of pleasure flooded his body when suddenly Kourin's arms wound around his   
neck, and her hands entwined in his hair. Her spicy taste was intoxicating, and   
Nuriko found himself gravitating towards the large bed. Kourin was soft   
underneath him, and he began to press fevered kisses along her throat.   
Suddenly, the mark for star burst into flame. The sight transfixed him, and Nuriko   
rapidly pulled away. He moved to the edge of the bed and buried his face in his   
hands.  
"Gomen, Kourin," Nuriko choked out despairingly. "I used the situation to take   
advantage of you." He waited for her to attack him and ruin the last shreds of his   
dignity. Instead, Kourin hugged him from behind and gently laid her head on his   
back.  
"Doushite, Nuriko?" she asked. "You only did what I asked." She turned his head   
so their eyes met. "You protected me, and even if your methods were not the   
most orthodox, arigatou, Ryuuen."  
"But...but you just finished telling me that you were destined to be with Hotohori,"   
Nuriko stammered in confusion. "You refused me, and I still took advantage of   
your need for protection."  
The fair haired girl looked at him gravely and gently took his face in her hands.   
"It's been a long time since a man has made me feel that I really am a woman,"   
she said softly. Nuriko stiffened as she chastely kissed his forehead, cheeks,   
and, finally, his lips. She made a slight gesture with her hands and spoke in a   
regal, imposing voice. "I, the last daughter of the golden phoenix, call upon the   
four elements and the four cardinal directions to give this man the strength of   
body and will to protect us both from the darkness to come." Nuriko almost had to   
shield his eyes from the intense golden aura flaming around the girl's body, and,   
once again, he thought he saw golden wings before the light winked out.  
"What was that?" Nuriko gasped awestruck. "What kind of power to you carry   
within you?"  
"I don't know," the girl replied shaking. "I've never done that before."  
From his view in the heavens Suzaku smiled. "So at last she has awakened.   
Perhaps it's finally my turn."  
Nuriko and Kourin left the inn as quickly as they had arrived the evening before   
despite Nuriko's fuzziness from too much alcohol. The young man was still   
shocked by his companion's mysterious nature, a nature that Kourin herself did   
not know or understand.  
He looked back at the girl quietly seated behind him. "She looks so, well,   
normal," Nuriko thought, "but she's the 'last daughter of the golden phoenix',   
whatever that means."  
"Oh, Kourin," he exclaimed suddenly, "you promised to teach me that dream   
remembrance thing. Can we start now?"  
She raised her eyebrows. "You really want me to teach you?" the girl asked   
incredulously. "I was sure that you were just fooling around."  
He made a face of mock distress. "You really think that poorly of me, Kourin-  
chan? I'm crushed."  
"Dreamwalking isn't easy," Kourin said seriously, judiciously ignoring the 'chan'.   
"It takes a lot of practice, and no two people follow exactly the same path."  
"How on earth do you think you can teach me then?!" Nuriko demanded. "You   
DID say that you'd teach me!"  
She gave him a disgusted look. "I didn't say that I couldn't teach you, baka! I just   
said that no two people dreamwalk exactly the same way!" Kourin took a deep   
breath before continuing. "I'm not really teaching you dreamwalking because I   
don't want to risk you wandering into someone else's dream and getting trapped.   
You'll be learning dream remembrance and dream manipulating for right now.   
Tonight before you go to sleep envision yourself travelling down a path towards a   
distant castle. Everything else: landscape, companions, whether or not you reach   
the castle, will be up to you. Let your vision shape itself, but use your mind to   
guide your actions. Eventually you will be able to guide others' actions as well."  
"That doesn't sound too hard," Nuriko said puzzled.  
Kourin smiled enigmatically. "Just try holding onto your vision and keeping your   
spirit alert as your body falls asleep."  
That night they camped in a secluded glade on the side of the road. As Nuriko   
helped her dismount Kourin gave him a wicked grin. "I sure hope that you can   
cook because I can't do anything that's not microwaveable or instant."  
"What's 'microwaveable'and 'instant'?" Nuriko asked quizzically. To his   
bewilderment the girl just laughed in his face and began to walk away.  
"That proves it," she giggled. "You are definitely cooking. What can I do to help?"  
After dinner the two sat contentedly together under the darkening sky. Somehow   
Kourin had managed to care for the horse and set up the campsite while Nuriko   
had prepared the food, so now they were perched on one of the two bedrolls. As   
the stars began to come out Nuriko began naming the constellations for his   
attentive companion.  
"See, Kourin, that one there is Tasuki, and over there is Chiriko," he said   
learnedly.  
"Do all of you have constellations?" she asked fascinated. At her companion's   
nod she sighed happily. "So I only have to look at the night sky, and you all will   
be with me." She pointed eagerly at a group of appearing stars and tugged at his   
sleeve. "Ryuuen, who's that?"  
The young man studied the sky, and his brow wrinkled in frustration. "I've never   
seen that constellation before," he said puzzled,"but when I was a child, my   
father told me that there were four constellations that hardly ever appear. They   
almost never appear at the same time, and they are usually the portent of some   
sort of upheaval."  
"Which one could this be?" Kourin asked wonderingly. "What were they called?"  
"The were named according to their position in the sky," Nuriko explained, "so in   
the north is the green tortoise, the west is the bengal tiger, the east the white   
dragon, and in the south is the golden phoenix. I think this one is the golden   
phoenix, but, look, Kourin! It's in the center of all of the Suzaku seishi's stars."  
"They're trying to protect her," the girl said reverently. "They have to keep her   
safe until Suzaku comes to take her back to the heavens."  
"Baka," Nuriko said tenderly, ruffling her hair. "Stars don't have any gender."  
"Those four: green tortoise, Bengal tiger, white dragon, and golden phoenix, have   
a physical form just like the seishi's stars," the girl insisted, "and they must be   
women."  
"How can you know that?" Nuriko asked. "You didn't even know what   
constellation it was!"  
"The stars spoke to me," Kourin answered in her eerie, regal voice. "My sisters   
are there calling for me to join them. L 


	5. Suzaku no Saiai -- Chapter Five

Suzaku no Saiai  
  
  
Part 5  
  
Standard disclaimer: Fushigi Yuugi is copyrighted by Watase Yuu, Shogakukan,   
TV Tokyo, Movic, and Studio Pierrot, and maybe some other people, if I forgot   
anyone.^^; Anyway, please don't sue, me. I'm just a poor college student. Kourin   
and Jin Feng were created by me, but I'm not responsible for their actions in this   
fanfic. I can't control them anymore! If you think you might be more successful   
controlling them, feel free to borrow them. Just drop me a line at   
jscaife@austin.rr.com to let me know.  
  
Nuriko was walking down a sunny road towards Eiyou, Konan's capital. In the   
distance he could see the red roof of the palace, and he smiled at the thought of   
seeing Hotohori again...,"but...what about Kourin?" he asked himself uncertainlly,   
and the smile faltered.  
"What about the girl?" an eerily familiar voice asked from behind him.  
Nuriko turned and tried to restrain a scream. "T...T...Taiitsukun!" he gasped.  
"Who did you expect? Suzaku himself?" the creator snapped. "We need to talk."  
"I can't right now, Taiitsukun," he blushed. How could he be telling the creator of   
his universe that he was too busy to pass the time of day with her...him...it? "I'm   
doing something for Kourin..."  
"That girl is precisely the topic of our conversation," the powerful god(dess)   
snapped. "Stay away from her, Nuriko, or you won't live to regret it! She has a   
higher purpose to fulfill than making a man of you!"  
"But..." the young man protested.  
Taiitsukun fixed him with her imperious gaze. "I don't want to hear any protests   
from you! It was bad enough Miaka and Tamahome fell in love, but that's   
expected of the Mikos and their protectors, but now you have to fall in love with   
her!"  
"Why don't you just tell me who Kourin really is, and why she's here?" Nuriko   
begged.  
"You don't need to know!" Taiitsukun informed him brusquely. "Just keep your   
hands off her! She chose you to be her protector through all this, so throw away   
your feelings and be a Seishi!"/P  
"Matte, Taiitsukun!" Nuriko creid. "I still have questions."  
"Go to the palace," the unrelenting reply floated back. "You will find some of your   
answers there."  
Puzzled, Nuriko continued his journey back towards the capital. Something was   
very strange. No one was around, and the normally bustling city lay silent.   
"What's going on here?" he muttered to himself. "There aren't even any guards at   
the palace gates."  
He warily entered the silent palace. Not even the footstep of a scurrying servant   
marred the eerie quiet. Nuriko looked into the throne room; empty, as were the   
kitchens and all the other rooms he'd explored. Unconciously, he'd saved   
Suzaku's shrine for last. Nuriko put his hand on the door to swing it open and   
stopped. "What's the point? No one's at all is here. Taiitsukun didn't know what   
she was talking about."  
"Who's there?" came a sweet melodious voice. "Tasukete, onegai!"  
"Where are you?" Nuriko called back. "I'll help you."  
"I'm in the shrine," the voice sobbed. "Onegai, I'm in the shrine."  
Nuriko forced the doors open and strode in. A beautiful young woman of about   
his age sat on the floor next to the statue of Suzaku. She wore a golden dress   
that sparkled and shimmered about her body and long, golden hair framed her   
face. She had lifted her head at the sound of his approach, and he could see that   
her eyes were the same shimmering gold colour as her dress, and her skin   
seemed to be infused with a golden light.  
"Onegai, free me from my chains," the mysterious girl begged. She lifted her hair   
so the young man could see the collar and chain binding her to the statue of   
Suzaku.  
"Who did this to you?" Nuriko gasped in shock. "Why would someone leave you   
here?"  
"It was a very silly little mortal," the girl replied disdainfully. "She resists me now,   
but sooner or later she will yield to me."  
"Why do you need a mortal at all?" the Suzaku seishi asked, amazingly having   
made the leap from human girl to immortal. "If this one is being so difficult, can't   
you just find another one?"  
The girl sniffed. "Unfortunately, it has to be in the blood, and usually only one girl   
every thousand years has the ability to merge with me. It's just my bad luck that   
the silly fool wants to be with her human lover!" She gestured at the wall idly, and   
a scene of a couple in a grassy meadow appeared. The picture zoomed in to   
show their faces, and Nuriko gasped.  
"That's Kourin and Hotohori-sama!" he cried.  
Kourin smiled up at Hotohori, and the air between them pulsed with energy.   
Hotohori took the girl's face in his hands and kissed her passionately.  
Nuriko leapt towards the wall. "Kourin, no!"  
"Ah, I understand," the golden girl smiled maliciously. "You're the one she's   
chosen as her protector. Poor fools, they always fall in love with the mortal   
vessels. She's not meant for you, you know." She lazily stretched as best she   
could with her chain. "Why don't you help me? At least then he won't get to have   
her either. If you free me, I can promise that."  
Nuriko looked at her with eyes burning in fury. He carefully walked over to the   
young woman, and menace loomed in every angle of his body. "You bitch!" he   
spat and slapped her across the face.  
Her neck twisted to the side grotesquely, and the young man was finally able to   
see the girl's back which had been carefully hidden against the base of the   
statue.  
"Gold wings? You have gold wings?" he stammered in shock. "Enough with your   
trickery! Who are you, and what do you want with Kourin?"  
The girl, or was it woman for she suddenly seemed to mature, laughed   
triumphantly. "I am Jin Feng, the youngest of the four heavenly consorts. I am the   
golden phoenix."  
"Masaka!" the young man exclaimed. "Are you saying that you are the physical   
form of the golden phoenix constellation?"  
"Don't be foolish," Jin Feng scoffed. "I need a human female to achieve my   
physical form and take my place in the heavens. My three sisters, L 


	6. Suzaku no Saiai -- Chapter Six

Suzaku no Saiai  
  
  
Part VI  
  
Standard disclaimer: Fushigi Yuugi is copyrighted by Watase Yuu, Shogakukan,   
TV Tokyo, Movic, and Studio Pierrot, and maybe some other people, if I forgot   
anyone.^^; Anyway, please don't sue, me. I'm just a poor college student. Kourin   
and Jin Feng were created by me, but I'm not responsible for their actions in this   
fanfic. I can't control them anymore! If you think you might be more successful   
controlling them, feel free to borrow them. Just drop me a line at   
jscaife@austin.rr.com to let me know.  
  
"It's the big one there with the darkest red roof," Nuriko said leaning over Kourin's   
shoulder to point. "We're heading straight there."  
The girl smiled brightly, and the young man thought he saw Jin Feng laughing at   
him in her dark eyes. "Do you want to see Hotohori that much?" he asked sadly.  
"Well, I've seen him every night in my dreams," she said shyly, "but I've never   
actually met him. What if he doesn't know who I am? Maybe he doesn't   
remember his dreams."  
"I'm sure things will be just fine," Nuriko said dryly. "The Emperor doesn't have so   
many lovers around that he'd forget the woman of his dreams."  
"Bad pun, Ryuuen-chan!" Kourin objected elbowing him in the stomach.  
A few hours later the pair had managed to make their way through the throngs of   
people and all the imperial red tape to Hotohori's audience chamber.  
"Nuriko-sama," one councilor bowed. "The Emperor awaits you...and your   
charming guest."  
The young man had to bite back a grin. Kourin's well placed flattery and smiles   
had gotten them into the palace faster than all his personal prestige ever could   
have.  
"Kourin-sama, please come this way," he said formally, offering her his arm. She   
appeared to be praying, and judging for the yellow glow at the edge of her collar,   
the sign had appeared. She clutched at his arm timidly as they entered.  
Nuriko let Kourin remain behind in the shadows as he went forward to kneel   
before the throne. "Hotohori-sama, I have returned."  
"I am glad you are still with us," the young emperor smiled graciously. "Chichiri   
informed me that you died, but a mysterious young woman from another world   
brought you back to us."  
"That is correct, Hotohori-sama," the kneeling seishi said ritually. "I have brought   
that young woman with me for our aid in returning her to her home. I present to   
you Kourin-sama."  
The girl took a few hesitant steps until Nuriko took her arm and almost pulled her   
forward into the light. She looked up and gazed directly into Hotohori's beautiful,   
dark eyes. They stood frozen for a moment, and Nuriko felt very out of place in   
this tableau.  
"It's you!" Hotohori cried out in a strange mixture of pain and passion. "The   
beautiful girl who keeps visiting me in my dreams!" He eyes swept over her   
frantically. The short golden-brown hair, the full figure, the brown eyes with just a   
hint of golden fire, they were all there. "I've been searching for you since I saw   
you the very first time, and now you're here!" He rushed down the throne steps   
as quickly as his ceremonial clothing would allow. The young emperor   
abandoned any pretense of dignity and held out his hands. "Kourin!"  
The girl unfroze, and tears began pouring down her cheeks as she threw herself   
into his arms. "Hotohori! I was so afraid that you wouldn't remember me," she   
sobbed.  
Hotohori held her face in his hands and gently brushed the tears away. "Dearest   
one, I could never forget the one thing that has brought sunshine to my dreary   
life these past three weeks. You are entertwined with my soul." He held Kourin   
close to his chest and rested his chin on her hair.  
Nuriko cleared his throat. "Anou...Hotohori-sama, this is probably a bad time to   
mention this, but what about Miaka?"  
The young emperor looked up startled. "What about Miaka, Nuriko?" he said icily.  
Nuriko looked down at his feet, not able to face the accusation in Hotohori's eyes.   
He fiddled his hands nervously and tried to pretend that the floor tiles were the   
most exciting thing he'd ever seen. "You said that she was the only one you'd   
ever loved, the only woman you could ever love," he finally muttered softly.  
Hotohori possesively tightened his hold on Kourin before answering. "You know   
as well as I that Miaka deeply loves Tamahome. When I said those words I   
believed that I still had a chance at winning her heart, but now..." He shook his   
head fiercely as if dispelling painful memories. "One night about two and a half   
weeks ago I was in my study alone with my melancholy thoughts. At the exact   
moment when I reached the lowest depths of despair a girl appeared, a girl from   
another world. She comforted me and assured me that my beloved was safe.   
However, her next words surprised me..."  
"I am the yin to your yang," the girl in his arms began softly.  
Hotohori added his voice to the final sentence. "You may call me Kourin." He   
smiled down at her before continuing. "She caressed my cheek, and my soul   
filled with an overwhelming longing. I bent my head to taste her soft lips, and,   
suddenly, she was gone. I was frantic. Who was she, and where did she come   
from? I asked everyone at court, but no one had seen a foreign woman with   
golden-brown hair anywhere. The next night though we met again, this time in   
the world of dreams, but I was pulled away too soon. I could hear her voice   
calling out to me in fear, but all of my strength was not enough to return. Once   
again I despaired of ever seeing her again, but the next night..."  
Nuriko groaned. "I think I already know what happened on the third and fourth   
nights, Hotohori-sama."  
Kourin sweatdropped and blushed. "How would you know what happened on the   
fourth night, Nuriko?" she asked dangerously. "You were supposed to be on the   
other side of the fire."  
The young man waved his hands in a frantic calming gesture. "It wasn't anything   
like that, hontou, Kourin," he said nervously. "I saw you together in the   
dreamworld. Something guided me to where you were.  
Hotohori nodded with a slightly embarrassed look. "Then you already knew that I   
found this?" He carefully pulled down Kourin's collar to reveal "hoshi" glowing on   
her neck. "She is marked as mine, and I will seal that by making Kourin my   
empress."  
A cloud passed over the girl's face, and she pushed away from Hotohori's chest   
to examine his face. "Empress? Me the empress of Konan?"  
Hotohori smiled indulgently down at her. "You are the one I love, Kourin, and I   
never want to separate from you again. Marry me, and rule Konan at my side!"   
His intense dark eyes burned into her soul.  
Kourin looked down at her feet and blushed. She knew that she had strong   
feelings for the young emperor, but were they really love? She shuddered when   
she looked back on the disastrous experience with James. "Gomen,   
Hotohori...but I just don't know," she said softly. "My heart says yes, but my   
mind..."  
He pressed her hands tenderly. "Daijoubu desu, Kourin. You can take as much   
time as you need. I anxiously await your answer." Hotohori turned and regally   
glided out the door.  
Kourin fell to her knees and cradled her head in her hands. Hotohori's kindness   
was overwhelming, and it frightened her. "He cares for me so much," she   
thought, "but no matter what decision I make, someone will be hurt. I don't want   
to make anyone feel sad on my account." Tears began to roll unbidden down her   
cheeks, and her shoulders started shaking.  
Nuriko looked up at the girl's crying and scowled. "What the hell is wrong with   
you, Kourin?!" he growled angrily. "Hotohori just proposed to you, he loves you   
more than anything. Isn't that what you wanted?!"  
"How would you know what I want?" Kourin demanded through her tears. "You've   
been avoiding me for the past two weeks."  
"I've seen into your dreams!" Nuriko threw back. "You always meet up with him,   
and you two go off together...alone."  
"Ryuuen, you have no right to be looking into my dreams and visions!" the girl   
accused. Her face was flushed, and there was a dangerous flicker of golden fire   
in her eyes. At any second she might lose her control and threaten to lob a chi   
ball in the Konan palace throne room.  
"I understand," Nuriko said acidly. "If you want to whore around with the emperor   
of Konan, it's absolutely none of my fucking business! Is that it?! I'm only your   
protector after all!"  
"I never asked for your blasted protection!" she retorted.  
"Very well then. I wash my hands of you!" Nuriko said hotly. He spun on his heel   
and began to stalk out of the room when he felt a painful, tight feeling in his   
chest. He took another step towards the door, and the tightness doubled. He   
could barely breathe. Nuriko looked back towards Kourin to see her face pale.   
"Kuso, I can't leave," he thought sourly.  
"You can't got until I let you," spoke a voice in his head.  
"Who's there?" Nuriko thought nervously. "What do you want?"  
"You've forgotten about me already, Ryuu-chan," the voice teased. "I'm someone   
very close to your beloved Kourin. I'm surprised you don't remember."  
Nuriko's eyebrows raised, and an image of the stunning phoenix woman flashed   
through his head. "Is it you, Jin Feng?" he thought in surprise.  
"How many people do you know who would speak directly to your mind?" the   
golden phoenix laughed lightly. "You haven't kept up your end of the bargain,   
Ryuu-chan. Kourin still hadn't spoken to me."  
"I know," Nuriko apologized with embarrassment. "We haven't been on speaking   
terms recently."  
"To expedite matters, I've created a bond between you two that is even stronger   
than the protection bond," Jin Feng pointed out. "If you try to separate from her   
the pain will become so great that it will eventually kill you."  
"So, that's what we just experienced!" Nuriko exclaimed. "Is there any way you   
can increase the range? Kourin and I will kill each other if we always have to be   
connected at the hip."  
"That was just an example of what will happen if you cross me," the phoenix   
woman smiled maliciously. "You two had best not kill each other fighting. She's   
feisty, ne? Ja!"  
"I can't go anywhere without having Kourin with me?" Nuriko thought in dismay.   
He turned back to the motionless girl. "Kourin, daijoubu ka?" He flushed a little   
and swallowed his pride. "About what I said, hontou ni gomen. I wasn't kind. Let's   
find you a room so you can rest.  
Kourin's body began to shake as she attempted to control her anger. "Do you   
think that you can blow it off that easily?" she hissed. "You called me a whore,   
and that I will never forgive!" She stalked past him coldly without looking back.  
Nuriko's heart froze in his chest. She had been so angry that she hadn't yelled or   
physically attacked him. Instead she wounded him far more deeply with her   
disdain. Mindful of Jin Feng's warning Nuriko carefully moved toward the door.   
He peered around the doorframe just in time to see Kourin sway slightly before   
ungraciously slumping to the floor.  
Nuriko rushed to the fallen girl's side and shook her gently. "Kourin? Kourin,   
daijoubu ka?" She didn't even stir. He tenderly brushed the hair off her forehead   
and stopped in shock. "Kamisama! She's burning up with fever! It's a pity   
Mitsukake isn't here to fix her up." The young man hefted Kourin in his arms. "I   
guess I'll take her to my room for the time being," he murmured. "Hotohori   
probably won't be happy though."  
Once again Kourin was in the dreamworld, that mysterious place lying between   
this world and the next. Cold, white mists swirled about her, obscuring her vision.   
The girl shivered; the dreamworld did not welcome her now. Another figure   
strode purposefully toward her throught the mist. As it approached Kourin could   
make out a faint golden glow, and she sighed, wondering what her new mission   
would be.  
The figure stopped a few feet from her, allowing a careful appraisal. The woman,   
for it was female, wore a shimmering golden ball gown with matching shoes. On   
her back the strange woman sported a pair of shining golden wings and an   
elegant bird's tail. Her long golden hair framed her face, and her eyes appeared   
to be golden flames. However, the face caused Kourin to draw back and cover   
her mouth in horror.  
"Who are you," the girl demanded,"that you wear my face?!"  
The strange woman smiled Kourin's smile. "So at long last we meet, daughter of   
the golden phoenix. I have been waiting for you, you know."  
"Why are you waiting for me?" the nervous girl snapped. "I'm not even from this   
world."  
"Kourin-chan, why do you fight your destiny?" asked the golden woman sadly.   
"You were born in your 'other world' for this moment." She stepped forward and   
caressed the frightened girl's cheek softly. "Such a strong, healthy girl," the   
woman murmured. "It is a pity you won't need your physical body anymore where   
we're going."  
Kourin leaped back and snarled,"I don't know what's going on here, but you'd   
damn well better tell me why the hell you have my face!"  
The woman smiled sardonically. "Haven't you realized it yet, child? I'm Jin Feng,   
the golden phoenix. I'm the part of yourself you've tried to repress all your life, the   
part that loves and hates equally passionately. In short, my dear, I AM you."  
"You're not me!" the girl protested frantically. "I don't have any problems   
accepting my emotions and the power within myself."  
"Sure, keep on telling yourself that," Jin Feng smirked. "I have waited thousands   
of years for you, and I know you better than you know yourself. I need you to   
merge with me so I can ascend to the heavens and take my place as Suzaku's   
heavenly consort."  
"Suzaku? You're the destined consort of Hotohori and Nuriko's god?" Kourin   
asked curiously.  
"Not just me, daughter of the golden phoenix," Jin Feng countered, "you and me,   
together.  
"Stop there!" commanded a third voice from the mist. An older woman floated   
towards the pair with a decidedly sour expression on her wrinkled, old face. "Jin   
Feng, I warned you against speaking to the girl too soon!"  
"Taiitsukun, creator," the phoenix woman said reverently and knelt. "I humbly   
apologize. I have overstepped my bounds."  
"You should leave, Jin Feng," Taiitsukun said pointedly. "I have something   
important to discuss with the girl."  
Jin Feng nodded silently and faded back into the swirling mist.  
The creator turned back to the startled girl. "Kourin-chan, I'm sure you are very   
confused, but we must talk."  
The girl nodded and asked, "Why did Jin Feng keep calling me 'daughter of the   
golden phoenix'and say we were the same person?"  
Taiitsukun sighed heavily. "That girl is just too headstrong for her own good; I   
knew she would say too much." She pulled out a small mirror and extended it to   
her young companion. "This will be a constant reminder of what I am about to tell   
you, but listen carefully..."  
"Long ago the four gods: Genbu, Byakko, Seiryuu, and Suzaku, could descend to   
the earth whenever they wanted without waiting to be summoned by a miko.   
Each fell in love with a mortal woman, and they married. Each had a child with   
their mortal wives, a child that was half immortal and half human. However, the   
mothers were not strong enough for such a birth, and all four died. The four gods   
grieved the loss of their beloveds, but the four children provided a recourse.   
Those children grew up and had families and passed along the immortal blood   
generation after generation. Every few generations a daughter was born in the   
image of the ancestor god's beloved who had the potential to become immortal   
herself. If she accepted the immortal part of herself, the girl would rise to the   
heavens as a goddess and take her place at her ancestor's side. At this point   
Byakko, Genbu, and Seiryuu have all regained their brides, but for many years   
the Golden Phoenix clan, as your ancestor's family was known, has been missing   
from the universe of the four gods. Your unexpected arrival showed that they   
somehow had crossed between the worlds, and the patriarch had prevented any   
girl from returning here."  
  
Glossary   
?chan, sama -- honourifics, chan implies a close relationship or something cute or   
younger than you, sama is sort of like lord or lady   
?yin and yang -- the female and male "essences" or "entities" in Chinese/Asian   
philosophies. They each have part of the other, and they are interconnected; they   
cannot exist alone.   
?hontou, hontou ni -- honestly, truthfully   
?hoshi -- star, this is Hotohori's seishi symbol   
?kuso -- shit^^;   
?daijoubu -- okay, alright   
  
  



	7. Suzaku no Saiai -- Chapter 7

Suzaku no Saiai  
  
  
Part VII  
  
Standard disclaimer: Fushigi Yuugi is copyrighted by Watase Yuu, Shogakukan,   
TV Tokyo, Movic, and Studio Pierrot, and maybe some other people, if I forgot   
anyone.^^; Anyway, please don't sue, me. I'm just a poor college student. Kourin   
and Jin Feng were created by me, but I'm not responsible for their actions in this   
fanfic. I can't control them anymore! If you think you might be more successful   
controlling them, feel free to borrow them. Just drop me a line at   
jscaife@austin.rr.com to let me know.  
  
Kourin wrinkled her brow thoughtfully. "The other three clans wouldn't happen to   
be the green tortoise, the bengal tiger, and the white dragon, would they?" At   
Taiitsukun's nod she took a deep breath. "My ancestress was Suzaku's beloved,   
ne? And I am her reincarnation? How does Jin Feng fit into this?"  
"She is your unclaimed immortality," the creator answered. "When you healed   
Nuriko she is responsible for the seishi sign appearing on your neck, marking you   
as belonging to Suzaku. I don't know why she didn't just use her own sign   
though. It would have saved a lot of confusion!"  
The girl's face darkened, and she looked down at her feet. "Anou...Taiitsukun,   
what about Hotohori? He loves me and wants me to be his empress."  
"Throw away your feelings for him now, Kourin-chan!" the creator ordered   
harshly. "Your destiny is elsewhere. If you persist in holding onto your feelings   
both of you will suffer and perhaps even be punished for it." Besides, Taiitsukun   
thought to herself, the rivalry between the seishi who love her could destroy   
Suzaku's side before Konan even has to face Kutou! The girl must go with   
Suzaku, for now! I thought these things were over after Miaka made her choice!  
A stubborn look crossed Kourin's face. "And what if I choose to take Suzaku's   
punishment rather than lose the warm encompassing love that I have been   
searching for?" she challenged.  
Taiitsukun finally lost her temper with the obstinate girl and slapped her across   
the face like she'd been a Nyan Nyan. Kourin clutched her throbbing cheek and   
looked at Taiitsukun in surprise. "That was to teach you to respect those with   
more knowledge than you!" Taiitsukun snapped. "You're nineteen years old; stop   
acting like a spoiled child and grow up!" The girl opened her mouth to protest, but   
the creator cut her off with a curt gesture. "Do you even realize what it means to   
be Hotohori's wife, the Empress of Konan? It means that everything you say,   
every move you make, is scrutinized and criticized. The Empress must be an   
example to the people of Konan, but right now I don't think you're strong enough!   
Also, because Nuriko and Hotohori both love you there's tension between them.   
If you clearly choose one over the other you are capable of destroying the   
Suzaku seishi and any hope for peace! Is that what you want, Kourin?!"  
The girl shuffled her feet and shook her head slowly. "I never wanted to hurt   
anyone," she said softly. "I just wanted to be happy...but it seems everything I   
touch is destroyed: my family...Konan...maybe even the four kingdoms   
themselves." She looked up, and her eyes burned with mystical golden light. "It   
seems the only thing I can do is consider what Suzaku wants of me."  
"Wai! Wai!" a SD Jin Feng cried enthusiastically, glomping Kourin's leg. "We're   
gonna me-erge!"  
Kourin desperately tried to pry the now child-like phoenix woman off. "Don't jump   
to conclusions! I only said that I'd think about it."  
She woke up in an unfamiliar room. The smell of medicine and worry permeated   
the air, and there were other signs that someone had been deathly ill. She turned   
her head slightly and unsuccessfully tried to fight back a groan. Her whole body   
felt so heavy!  
Nuriko was jolted out of his shallow doze by the slight sound. He jumped up and   
ran to the side of the bed. He gently clasped the sick girl's hand. "Daijoubu,   
Kourin-chan," Nuriko murmured softly. "I'm back. I promised I wouldn't leave   
you." Not counting the fact that I can't leave thanks to Jin Feng, the young man   
thought wryly.  
To his surprise and delight, "Since when was I 'Kourin-chan'," the sick girl   
protested weakly with only a shadow of her customary asperity. "I was enjoying   
'Kourin-sama' myself."  
He carefully gathered her in his arms for an enthusiastic hug. "You're finally   
awake!"  
"What do you mean 'finally awake'?" Kourin asked quizzically. "I just met   
Hotohori a few hours ago, ne?"  
Nuriko shook his head gravely. "We had a terrible argument after you met   
Hotohori, and you stomped out. About five minutes later I found you passed out   
in the walkway. I brought you here and ran to find a doctor. By the time we   
returned you were having fever induced hallucinations. The doctor didn't want to   
risk moving you, so I've been taking care of you for the past week."  
"I've been like this for the past week?" the girl asked incredulously. "What did the   
doctor say was wrong?"  
"He said that you'd simply overextended your chi, using more than your body   
naturally created, and only bedrest would cure it," Nuriko shrugged. "Hotohori's   
come to see you every day," he added reluctantly. "He's worried about you a lot."  
Kourin painfully turned her back to him. "It doesn't matter now," she whispered   
sadly and curled into a ball. Nuriko sucked in his breath and put one hand next to   
her head and placed his face level with hers.  
"What do you mean 'it doesn't matter now'?" he demanded. "Last time I checked   
you were madly in love with Hotohori, but now his taking time out of his busy   
schedule as emperor isn't important?!"  
Kourin curled up even more tightly and let the hot tears flow silently down her   
cheeks. She could never explain to Nuriko why her attitude had changed so   
radically. She squeezed her eyes shut, hoping the young man would just   
disappear. The room was silent except for the sound of metal sliding against   
leather...  
"I suggest you leave her alone," Hotohori commanded icily.  
Kourin opened her eyes in a flash. The young emperor stood imposingly at the   
edge of the bed with the tip of his sword at Nuriko's throat. The purple-haired   
seishi carefully climbed off the bed, conscious of the lethal blade.  
"In fact I think it would be best if you left," the Emperor continued, and icy fire   
flashed in his beautiful liquid eyes.  
Nuriko gulped. Damn that Jin Feng! he cursed mentally. "I'm afraid I can't do that,   
Hotohori-sama," he said levelly.  
The perfect royal eyebrows lifted. "I see. Guards! Remove this man immediately!"  
Kourin stared at the scene in fascination. This was a Hotohori she'd never seen!   
In place of the gentle, lonely, loving man, he had become the imposing, regal   
emperor of Konan. Maybe this is what Taiitsukun meant about me not being   
ready, she thought sadly. I'm not the right woman to support this man.  
"Matte yo!" Nuriko cried as the guards grabbed him and began pulling him away.   
"Kourin and I are..." He was dragged out the door before he could finish.  
Hotohori sat down on the side of the bed. "I brought you a present," he smiled   
eagerly, once again the lonely young man. He pulled a stuffed animal from   
behind his back and awkwardly thrust it towards Kourin. "I hope you like it."  
The girl took the small stuffed creature in her hands. "It's a teddy bear," she said   
in surprise, "but where did you get one here?"  
The young emperor blushed and shifted uncomfortably. "Actually Miaka gave it to   
me," he confided in embarrassment, "but I thought that it might provide you with   
some company when I'm not here."  
Kourin couldn't hold back her delighted smile, and she hugged the stuffed bear   
tightly. "Do you think Saihitei would be a good name?" she teased. Forgive me,   
Taiitsukun, but I can't help myself!  
The guards had succeeded in dragging Nuriko across the courtyard when the   
chest pains became so strong he was forced to his knees. "Kuso!" he swore   
angrily. "Kourin's not strong enough!" Ignoring the jabs and kicks from the guards   
Nuriko began to crawl back across the courtyard. One guard grabbed him and   
lifted the young man to face level.  
"Listen, I don't care that you're a Suzaku seishi," he said firmly. "The Emperor   
said not to let you back in there."  
Nuriko's temper snapped. "You idiotic fool! If I just wanted to cause trouble I   
wouldn't bother trying to get back in there! Kourin, the Emperor's beloved, will be   
seriously injured if I don't get back in there now!"  
The guard looked unimpressed and began hauling Nuriko back towards the   
dungeon. The young man nearly passed out from the increased pressure in his   
chest just as an agonizing female scream rang out across the courtyard.  
Hotohori gazed on in horror as Kourin's already fragile body was wracked with   
excruciating spasms. She gasped for air, and, finally, a scream labouriously   
escaped her lips.  
"Get me in there now!" Nuriko commanded breathlessly. Wordlessly, the guard   
obeyed, carrying his captive back towards the room.  
The Emperor looked up as the guard returned with Nuriko dangling from his   
beefy fist. "He was supposed to be taken to the dungeon," he stated pointedly.  
"I know what's wrong with Kourin," Nuriko sputtered. Why can't I breath yet? he   
thought anxiously. I'm back in the range of the bond.  
"I want you to kiss her," Jin Feng's voice whispered teasingly.  
"I can't do that!" Nuriko thought back urgently. "Hotohori will kill me for sure! What   
are you doing in my head again anyway?"  
"Make up an excuse," the phoenix woman said flippantly, ignoring Nuriko's   
question. "You're a bright boy."  
Nuriko tried to take a deep breath. "Could you carry me to the bed?" he asked his   
captor hesitantly. The guard clomped across the few remaining feet and   
unceremoniously dumped him on the floor. Grasping the edge of the bed Nuriko   
struggled to reach a kneeling position. After several long minutes he finally   
reached his goal. Now came the hard part.  
Using his legendary strength Nuriko caught the girl's flailing arms and pulled   
himself onto the bed. He paled under Hotohori's questioning gaze and mumbled   
weakly, " Anou...chi transfer..." The Emperor nodded, apparently, satisfied, and   
sat back. Nuriko gulped and bent his head. What type of kiss did it have to be   
anyway?  
"No chaste little pecks on the cheeks or lips!" Jin Feng threatened. "I want a real   
kiss, so those don't count."  
The young man mentally groaned. I was afraid of that.  
He caressed Kourin's lips gently with his own before covering them entirely. His   
chest began to release, and he could feel the girl's spasms lessen, but they still   
wouldn't stop. Fearing the worst Nuriko forced his tongue through the slight gap   
in her lips. Kourin's mouth had retained the subtle spicy flavour he remembered   
from their previous kisses. There were no foreign tastes, and Nuriko felt gratified   
by the thought that Hotohori hadn't kissed Kourin. The tightness in his chest   
faded completely, but lost in the pleasant sensations Nuriko didn't even notice.   
Suddenly, he felt a sharp chi 'zap', and he jumped back startled.  
"I'm fine now, so you can stop sharing your spit," Kourin said acidly, but she   
smiled to soften her words.  
"How did you know what to do?" Hotohori asked in awe. "Sugoi, Nuriko!"  
"It's just a technique I saw used once," the purple-haired seishi said off-handedly,   
"and I thought it might work." He moved away from the bed slowly, but the toy in   
Kourin's arms caught his eye. "Hey, that's Miaka's bear, isn't it?"  
Kourin held it out and said, "Hotohori gave him to me. He thinks I need Miaka's   
sunny disposition more than him right now." She looked at Hotohori coyly. "I still   
think Saihitei's a nice name for him."  
"Miaka called it 'Keisuke' after her oniisan," Nuriko said curtly. "I think you should   
keep its original name." He sat gingerly on the couch that had been brought in to   
be used as a bed and tried to ignore the feelings that Kourin's kiss had aroused.   
How can Jin Feng constantly manipulate me into these situations? he thought   
miserably. Kourin's not meant for any mortal man's bride, but...  
"I like you better than I like him," Jin Feng's sweet voice whispered in his ear.  
"Are you talking in my mind again?" the young man queried, exhaustedly.  
"No, I'm here; you just can't see me," the phoenix woman replied. "Don't worry;   
they can't hear us."  
"Why don't you like Hotohori?" Nuriko asked, allowing his curiousity full rein.   
"He's a kind, gentle man, and he loves her with his entire being."  
Jin Feng played with her hair before answering. "I've discovered that I really like   
Kourin quite a bit. She has fire and life to her, not to mention strength of   
character and will. Sharing a body with her won't be hard. I mean we're so close   
in personality that she only gains the powers of an immortal and loses nothing!   
Hotohori dampens that spark in her; the type of love she feels for him makes her   
docile. You, on the other hand, fan Kourin's inner flame to its full potential."  
"That's because we fight all the time," Nuriko pointed out drily. "I'm an annoyance   
to her."  
"Are you really that blind?" Jin Feng asked in surprise. "Haven't you realized the   
truth yet?"  
"Enlighten me," the young man drawled. "You seem to know everything anyway."  
"There's a strong physical attraction between you two!" the golden woman   
exploded in exasperation. "Sure, Kourin thinks she loves him, but deep down   
inside it's only because Suzaku told her to return to Konan. The silly fool thinks   
she wants a calm, dependable man, but after a month of marriage she'd be   
bored stiff! She needs a man who'll keep her on her toes!"  
"Chotto matte!" Nuriko broke in. "If Kourin's destined to rise to the heaven's and   
join Suzaku it doesn't matter whether she's attracted to me or not!"  
Jin Feng suddenly stepped through a transparent door of air. "It matters a great   
deal,"" she murmured huskily, "because I intend to enjoy my mortal existence to   
the fullest." She strode towards him purposefully, and Nuriko felt like a trapped   
animal. The stunning phoenix woman ran her hands through his thick purple hair   
and smiled. "I think she may just be a tiny bit jealous of me," and she kissed him.  
Nuriko stiffened in shock, and then his mind went completely blank. Afterwards   
he was never entirely sure about what had happened, but he did remember Jin   
Feng making a strange gesture and thinking, "Now she's bound to me as well for   
the moment and can experience everything I do..."  
Kourin had the odd sensation that someone was kissing her, but the only person   
in the room was Hotohori, sitting sedately next to the bed. Suddenly, her ears   
picked up the faint echoes of a woman's sensuous laugh, and then, "Nuriko   
darling," her immortal doppelg„nger's voice purred, "let's make her really jealous,   
shall we?"  
Kourin scowled. Somehow Jin Feng had made her way into the outside world.   
Jealous, huh? Kourin would show that meddling phoenix woman jealous! She   
threw her arms around Hotohori's neck, trying to ignore the intense pain. I don't   
care what Taiitsukun said! she thought bitterly. If Nuriko can mess around with   
Jin Feng, I can love Hotohori.  
Hotohori froze under the sudden onslaught of affection from his beloved. His   
mind refused to function, but his body instinctively reacted when her burning lips   
touched his. The normally reserved young emperor had discovered his skill at   
lovemaking in the dreamworld, and he mentally thanked Suzaku, later of course,   
after the testosterone rush had worn off. For the time being he tightened his   
embrace possessively and let his hormones take control.  
"Look at her!" Nuriko gasped in agitation. "She has no shame! None whatsoever!   
What if someone came in?"  
"The Emperor's made it fairly clear that Kourin is his chosen empress," Jin Feng   
pointed out. "We did manage to arouse her anger and jealousy though."  
"It wasn't supposed to send her rushing into Hotohori's waiting arms!" the young   
man accused piteously.  
"So I messed up a little!" the phoenix woman snapped. "I didn't expect her to be   
quite that contrary! Ja, Ryuu-chan, I can't sustain this form any longer."  
Kourin's eyes widened as Nuriko slowly reappeared on the sofa. He's been there   
the whole time? she questioned herself. Jin Feng must have more power than I   
realized. She demurely pushed Hotohori away and cast her gaze downward.   
"I...I'm sorry, Hotohori, but I just don't feel comfortable now that Nuriko's back."  
Hotohori smiled indulgently. "Daijoubu, Kourin. Intimacy is something that should   
be kept between two people."  
"Don't you have any imperial paperwork to do?" Nuriko scowled blackly. "I think   
that your fiance‚ and I need to talk."  
Hotohori struggled against the impulse to take action against the other young   
man's words, when a hand on his arm restrained him. Kourin had managed to sit   
upright, and her eyes seemed a little icy. Gomen, Hotohori, but I have to push   
you away... "I think you should leave now," she stated cooly. "There is no need   
for you to stay any longer."  
Confusion flitted over the young emperor's face, but the strength of his imperial   
training quickly enforced a fa‡ade of composure. "As you wish, Kourin," he   
answered neutrally. "Shall I join you for dinner this evening?"  
A look of disgust passed over the girl's face, and in a tone as if she were   
speaking to a very young, very stupid child, she replied, "If you insist."  
"I think that you should rest," Hotohori said almost curtly. Turning on his heel   
Konan's young emperor glided away, regal and bewildered.  
Like an agitated cat Nuriko shook out his purple mane and stalked to the bed. His   
entire body was tense and angry energy exuded from his pores in waves.   
Unheeding Kourin's weakened state he slammed her up against the headboard.  
"What the fuck happened while you were passed out?!" he demanded. "You   
woke up saying that it didn't make any difference how much you and Hotohori   
loved each other. Then you were 'sharing spit', as you charmingly put it, with him   
as if you had to merge with him here and now! Two seconds later you dismissed   
him as if he were merely an annoyance or inconvenience to you. I'm pretty sure   
that Hotohori's confused as hell, and I know that I am!"  
"It's none of your business!" Kourin snapped, and the sign on her neck began to   
glow as her chi elevated due to her anger. "The one who needs to do some   
explaining is you Mr. 'Let's make Kourin jealous'!"  
"That wasn't my idea!" Nuriko protested, turning red.  
"Prove it!" Kourin demanded.  
"I won't unless you give me a good reason for your behaviour!" the Suzaku seishi   
threatened, bring his face close to the girl's.  
Kourin started to raise her hand, but Nuriko pinned her wrist like a knife pinning a   
butterfly. Her eyes became frantic like a caged animal's, but she managed to   
force, "Let go of me right now, Nuriko!" past her lips.  
"Oh, the romantic tension is just killing me!" a third voice interjected from across   
the room. "This is the part where the hero and heroine get so angry that they end   
up all over each other, ne?"  
Two pairs of eyes, one brown, one burgandy, turned in shock. Jin Feng was   
casually perched on Nuriko's vanity, filing her nails. She smiled brightly. "I was   
lonely, so I thought I'd come out to play with you kids."  
  
Glossary  
?Wai --interjection indicating excitement.   
?daijoubu -- it's okay, all right   
?-chan and -sama -- Chan is a suffix to names that implies closeness or that   
something is small or cute, sama indicates that the person is above you in status   
?ne -- a question particle similar to how we use, 'right?'in English   
?chi -- Life energy like the Force in Star Wars   
?Kuso -- shit   
?sugoi -- Wow, awesome, cool^^   
?Oniisan -- older brother   
?chotto matte -- Wait a minute   
  
Questions? Comments? Suggestions?  
c 1997 jscaife@austin.rr.com   
  
  
  
  



	8. Suzaku no Saiai -- Chapter 8

Suzaku no Saiai  
  
  
Part VIII  
  
Standard disclaimer: Fushigi Yuugi is copyrighted by Watase Yuu, Shogakukan,   
TV Tokyo, Movic,and Studio Pierrot, and maybe some other people, if I forgot   
anyone.^^; Anyway, please don't sue me. I'm just a poor college student. Kourin   
and Jin Feng were created by me, but I'm not responsible for their actions in this   
fanfic. I can't control them anymore! If you think you might be more successful   
controlling them, feel free to borrow them. Just drop me a line at   
jscaife@austin.rr.com to let me know.  
  
Nuriko drew away from Kourin guiltily and sweatdropped. "For Suzaku's sake, Jin   
Feng! I thought you'd left for the day. Haven't you caused enough trouble yet?"  
The phoenix woman ignored him and hopped off the vanity to saunter over to   
Kourin's side. She patted the girl's head and smiled pityingly. "That trick of your's   
with the Emperor was good, Kourin, very good, but you can't beat me." She   
turned and walked to the center of the room. "You'll end up with who I want, you   
know," she said pointedly. "I can manipulate you from inside your mind."  
Kourin wrinkled up her face like a disgruntled four year old and scowled. "Why   
don't you go back into my head and leave me alone?!" she demanded. "I've   
made it quite clear that I'm not interested in being Suzaku's consort!"  
"Now, now," Jin Feng tsked, "you said that you'd merge with me."  
"I said I'd consider it!" Kourin interrupted sharply.  
"Why are you being so harsh with your lover then?" Jin Feng pointed out. "Don't   
even try to tell me that you don't want him to be more hurt in the end or hurt by   
Suzaku or something stupid like that! The truth, Kourin, is that you don't love him   
at all! You've managed to convince yourself that Hotohori is the perfect man for   
you,b ut you're already tiring of him. Look into your heart and see the truth!"  
Kourin turned red with anger. "How dare you come and treat me so terribly!" she   
cried. "Jin Feng, I hate you! Anta ga daikirai, daikirai!" She took a deep breath   
and looked her immortal counterpart square in the eye. "Jin Feng, I banish you to   
the furthest corners of my mind. You may not stray from there until the day I call   
on you to merge, IF that ever comes."  
The phoenix woman stared at her in shock. "I'm impressed, little one. You   
shouldn't have figured that out yet," she said before winking out like a candle.  
"She told you the truth," Nuriko stated flatly. "You know who you are."  
The girl dropped her gaze and studied her hands. "Yes," she stated simply. She   
looked back up with a cold, hard gaze. "How did you know, Nuriko?"  
"Remember when I began acting so cooly towards you on our journey here?" he   
asked. The girl nodded slowly. "I saw Taiitsukun in my dreams, and she directed   
me to Jin Feng. Between the two of them they made it extremely clear that I had   
to leave you alone and live only to protect you because you were more than   
human. That is why I knew: to keep from jeopardizing your damn divine   
purpose!"  
"I don't like it any more than you do," Kourin said weakly, "but at least you don't   
have to give up being who you are to become the consort of a god."  
"No, I just have to give up you!" Nuriko exploded. "I've already lost three people   
that I cared for, and now I'm supposed to step aside and say, "Sure, take her too,   
Suzaku. Really, it's not big deal?!"  
"Listen, Ryuuen," the girl said calmly, "your chi is still a little messed up because   
most of it is mine. The natural affinity between my chi in both our bodies has   
created some sort of physical attraction between us, but we're NOT in love."  
"Why aren't you angry yet?" Nuriko asked suspiciously. "Where'd the real Kourin   
go?"  
The girl shot him a dirty look and leaned back against the pillows. "I simply don't   
have the energy to argue with you right now," she sighed. "Anger drains a lot of   
chi you know. Besides you don't listen when I yell, so maybe rational argument   
will work better."  
"I just think that Jin Feng played a good trick on us both, and the real Kourin is   
trapped somewhere," the purple haired seishi sighed. "If it weren't for the bond   
between us, I'd be out of here right now."  
"What bond between us?" Kourin asked curiously.  
"Oh, she didn't tell you about that?" Nuriko asked, getting angry again. "We're   
bonded because I'm your protector. We can't separate more than about 250   
yards to make sure I can't leave you because I tire of your childish whims!"  
The girl snapped her fingers. "That's it, Nuriko! That's why you think you're in love   
with me!"  
"How do you figure that?" Nuriko asked drily. "Your logic fails me."  
"Tamahome is in love with Miaka, right? And Taiitsukun implied that Genbu no   
Miko's and Byakko no Miko's protectors fell in love with them," the girl explained   
animatedly. "In order to be willing to give his life for the woman he is protecting   
he must love the woman he serves!"  
Nuriko facefaulted from shock. "You really are determined to prove that my   
feelings for you are less than genuine, aren't you?" he grinned wryly. "That has   
got to be the strangest one you've come up with yet!"  
The girl stared at him wide-eyed and opened her mouth to say she'd been   
serious. Instead she left herself laugh along with her companion, and for the first   
time since they'd met, Nuriko and Kourin were in perfect communion.  
After the exciting events of Kourin's first few weeks in hte palace, things returned   
to normal, or as normal as they could be with Nuriko and Kourin. Kourin's   
recovery lagged; she was far weaker than even the physician had suspected,   
and the news that she could not love Hotohori freely weighed heavily on her   
heart. Secretly Nuriko worried about her because although the girl outwardly   
projected cheerfulness, he could sense the depression inside.  
"Kourin, would you like to go outside today?" the purple haired young man asked.   
"You're finally strong enough to handle the short journey." "Besides," he added to   
himself, "you're wasting away in here, and I've never seen someone so pale."  
"Ryuuen, that's very sweet of you, but I'm fine," the girl replied from her chair by   
the window.  
Nuriko steeled himself to ask the cruel question that had been plaguing his mind.   
He had to goad her into action and prevent her from accepting a lifelong illness.   
"You're avoiding Hotohori," he accused. "You think that if you hide in here,   
clinging to your illness as an excuse, you'll never have to deal with the issue,   
don't you?!"  
He scanned her face eagerly, hoping for some sign of the girl's former spark and   
vigor, but she merely smiled, "You're imagining things, Ryuuen. You know as   
well as I that any relationship between the emperor and I ended shortly after our   
arrival."  
Nuriko stalked across the room and shook her sharply. "What sort of lies have   
you made yourself believe, Kourin?! You're not even really Kourin anymore; only   
a shell of that bright, dazzling girl is left! Not even Suzaku, your destined consort,   
would want you in this state!"  
At Suzaku's name the familiar golden fire flashed in Kourin's eyes, which had   
been vacant for many weeks. "Leave Suzaku out of this, Nuriko!" she spat. "He   
has only ruined my life! What do you want to here? That I still love Hotohori? I do.   
Have I been avoiding him? Yes! Do I want to deal with the issue of my bond to   
Suzaku? Of course not!"  
She stood alone and shoved the young man away, and a golden aura crackled   
around her. "You seem to think that I'm too weak to face my destiny, Nuriko!" Her   
eyes met his challengingly, and the words, "I'll show you," lay unspoken between   
them.  
Kourin tried to stride the few steps to the door, but she stumbled, uneasy on her   
own feet. Nuriko rushed to her side to offer some support. "Be careful," he   
cautioned gently. "You've been bedridden for the last few weeks and haven't fully   
regained your strength."  
The girl clenched her jaw and pushed him away. "I can do it myself!" she insisted   
stubbornly and nearly fell as she tried to take another step forward.  
Nuriko caught her again, and his face darkened. "Damn it, Kourin!" the young   
man exploded. "Why won't you accept my help when it's clear you need it?!"  
"I don't need anyone's help!" the girl snarled. "Stop babying me, Nuriko!"  
Something in the young seishi finally snapped. He pushed Kourin to the ground   
and looked down at her in contempt. "Maybe Taiitsukun was right," Nuriko said   
coldly. "You are still a child; an adult would be able to accept help when it was   
needed." He forced himself to turn on his heel and walk away.  
"Nuriko, come back!" Kourin pleaded. "Nuriko, please! Ryuuen!"  
The young man ignored the feelings of guilt and protectiveness in his heart and   
kept on walking. "Gomen, Kourin, but this is for your own good..."  
Suddenly, he stopped. "Kuso! That stupid bond'll keep me from getting too far   
away!" As he spoke a faint pulse of pain echoed along the psychic tie.   
Reluctantly, Nuriko turned around and shook his fist at the sky. "Damn you, Jin   
Feng!" the young seishi swore harshly. "I can't help her grow up if I can't teach   
her this lesson!"  
"You called?" the phoenix woman's melodious voice came from his left.  
Nuriko jumped and turned to face the sound. "I thought Kourin banished you!"  
"She did," the golden woman smiled, "but during her illness she blocked her own   
power away thus disolving any spells she had set. Onna no baka! I just didn't feel   
a need to return before."  
"Release this stupid bond right now then!" the young man demanded rudely.  
"Oh, so you're actually going to try to teach her a lesson?" Jin Feng raised an   
eyebrow. "The bond's been gone since the last time I activated it." She shook her   
head as Nuriko opened his mouth to protest. "I just wanted to show you that you   
can't just leave her because she gets on your nerves. You made an oath to be   
Kourin's protector, Nuriko, and you cannot dissolve it that easily."  
"But why did you make me do all those things?" the young seishi asked, flushing.   
A vivid memory of being forced to kiss Kourin under Hotohori's watchful gaze   
arose, and he turned even redder.  
Jin Feng hopped off her perch and shrugged. "I'll admit I was just playing with   
you two, but, also, I could see you were suffering." She caressed the seishi's   
cheek gently. "You have fallen in love with the mortal vessel, but I...in the   
thousands of years that I've waited for Kourin, I never thought I could fall in love   
with a human man..." She sighed softly. "If you wait about fifteen minutes you'll   
find Kourin alone in the rose garden; she'll need you then." Jin Feng smiled at   
him, the same blinding smile as her counterpart, and lowered her gaze. "I will   
never seek you out again, but will wait for Kourin's call. I played with fire and was   
badly burned...sayonara...Ryuuen."  
Meanwhile, Kourin had convinced a young guard that there was absolutely   
nothing improper in his carrying her to the imperial rose garden. The young   
soldier had carefully placed her on a sunny bench and headed off with a   
message for his emperor, leaving her alone. She looked up and smiled softly,   
reveling in the warm sun on her skin.  
Hotohori's gaze widened when he saw her sitting in the pool of sunlight. Kourin   
was so pale from her illness that for a moment she seemed to be the source of   
the light rather than the sun. Smiling gently, the young emperor plucked a single,   
golden rose from a bush and approached. "Kourin," he said quietly. "How I've   
missed you!"  
The girl turned to face him, and the unselfish adoration in his face caught at her   
heart. Would she be strong enough with him looking at her like that? "So you got   
my message then?" she asked uncomfortably, looking down at her hands.  
Hotohori smiled. "He said you had something important to tell me, Kourin.   
Dearest, don't be afraid. One day you will become my empress, and I don't want   
there to be any secrets between us." He embraced her, and Kourin's   
determination wavered.  
"Actually, that's what I need to talk to you about, Hotohori," she whispered, "my   
becoming your empress."  
Her companion clenched his hands, heedless of the rose's thorns, and a dreadful   
premonition came over him. "What is it, darling?" he choked out.  
Kourin turned her face up towards his and firmly pushed Hotohori away. "I can't   
marry you," she said clearly. "I thought I loved you enough to deal with all the   
formalities of a public life, but..." , her voice broke a little, "I only imagined myself   
in love with you, and I'd be so unhappy as Empress!"  
Hotohori's face turned white, and the beautiful rose fell from his senseless   
fingertips. For the second time in less than a year the woman he loved was   
pushing him away. "Why, Kourin?" he cried. "Doushite? Is there someone else?!"  
The girl shook her head firmly and tried to smile through her tears. "Since I came   
here, I've only had eyes for you, Hotohori-sama, but my destiny seems to   
inevitably part from yours. I have a favour to ask of you...let me be the one to   
choose your empress from the princesses gathered here at the court. At least   
then you will have a part of me with you always."  
The young emperor struggled to hide the immense hurt caused by Kourin's   
words, and, finally, rose stiffly. "Do as you like," he said coldly and walked away,   
leaving his shattered heart behind.  
Nuriko arrived at the garden's side entrance just in time to see Kourin clutch up a   
gold rose from the ground and bury her face in her hands. "She actually screwed   
up the courage to tell him," he thought sadly,"but it killed her to do it." Wordlessly,   
he went to her side and held the girl as she wept bitterly.  
"I really cared for him, Nuriko," Kourin sobbed. "I loved him more than he'll ever   
know, but I had to send him away. I had to!"  
"Shh, I know," the young man soothed. "Come on, Kourin-chan. Let's go back   
and rest."  
Half supporting, half carrying the weeping girl, Nuriko left the rose garden behind.   
"I wonder if either of them will ever enjoy that spot again..."  
Kourin pulled herself together surprisingly quickly, and by that afternoon she had   
set out on her mission to find the perfect bride for Hotohori. She brushed off   
Nuriko's offer of help and carefully crossed the palace to find the women's   
quarters. As she sat on a delicate bench, resting, Kourin felt the hairs on the   
back of her neck rise. "Someone's watching me," she thought nervously, "but   
why?" She caught a flash of colour to her left and turned, but whoever had been   
there had disappeared. The girl stood and continued walking, but the feeling of   
being observed remained. Suddenly, there was another flash of colour, and   
Kourin restrained the urge to turn her head. "If I pretend I don't notice, maybe my   
pursuer will become careless," she mentally grinned.  
She straightened her back and continued down the hallway. Sure enough a few   
minutes later her pursuer popped out, this time a little closer. The game went on   
for several more minutes until Kourin's mysterious observer made a dangerous   
miscalculation and came inches too close. Before the other person could flit   
away again, Kourin reached out and grabbed her tracker's arm.  
"Who are you, and why are you following me?" she demanded. Then she took a   
good look at her captive and promptly lost her temper. "Nuriko!! I told you I could   
take care of myself, and I thought you stopped crossdressing!"  
"But..." the captive tried to protest, but Kourin was already stomping down the   
hall.  
  
Glossary   
?Anata ga daikirai -- I really hate you   
?gomen -- I'm sorry   
?Kuso -- shit or mild cussing   
?sayonara -- Although it literally means 'goodbye', sayonara is mainly used in   
situations where one wouldn't expect to see the other person for a long time.   
?doushite -- why   
  
c 1997 jscaife@austin.rr.com   
  
  
  
  



	9. Suzaku no Saiai -- Chapter 9

Suzaku no Saiai  
  
  
Part IX  
  
Standard disclaimer: Fushigi Yuugi is copyrighted by Watase Yuu, Shogakukan,   
TV Tokyo, Movic,and Studio Pierrot, and maybe some other people, if I forgot   
anyone.^^; Anyway, please don't sue me. I'm just a poor college student. Kourin   
and Jin Feng were created by me, but I'm not responsible for their actions in this   
fanfic. I can't control them anymore! If you think you might be more successful   
controlling them, feel free to borrow them. Just drop me a line at   
jscaife@austin.rr.com to let me know.  
  
"I can't believe you!" she exploded, her delicate physical state forgotten. "How   
could you try to trick me like that?! Did you really think I was so stupid I wouldn't   
notice?!"  
Kourin hauled her captive back to Nuriko's room and plopped him down on a   
chair. "Don't you dare move!" she threatened, turning to dig through a trunk. She   
pulled out one of Nuriko's travelling outfits and shook it with a triumphant flourish.   
"Here, put this on."  
The person on the chair stared back silently, and Kourin groaned. "I have to   
dress you now?" She shrugged and began pulling down her captive's top   
agressively. Suddenly, the fair haired girl blushed and backed away in   
embarrassment. "You're not...Nuriko..." she trailed off. "You're a woman!"  
The purple haired girl looked at Kourin's surprised expression and burst into   
peals of sweet laughter. "Gomen nasai, for not saying anything sooner," she   
apologized as soon as she could breath, "but you just assumed I was Nuriko-  
sama, and the joke was too good to pass up. I hope you're not angry?"  
Kourin grinned and shook her head. "Not at all, but who are you, and why were   
you following me?"  
"I am Houki, one of the girls in the Emperor's harem," the other girl replied, "or   
rather one of the potential brides for the Emperor before Miko-sama, and then   
you, arrived, Kourin-sama. As to why I was following you, I merely wanted to see   
what sort of girl had captured Hotohori-sama's heart this time."  
Kourin smiled sadly. "Houki-san, I'm not going to marry Hotohori...I can't marry   
him..."  
Houki squeezed her hand sympathetically. "You don't feel that you could handle   
being Empress or is there someone else, if I'm not imposing? Perhaps Kourin-  
sama loves Nuriko-sama?"  
"In love with Nuriko?"the other girl laughed, but it seemed strained. "No, it's   
something else entirely."  
The purple haired girl looked at her strangely. "Whatever you say, Kourin-sama,"   
she said doubtfully.  
"What in Suzaku's name is going on in here?" Nuriko asked weakly from the   
doorway. He didn't know who the new girl was or why she was sitting in his room   
half undressed, but Kourin had a real smile on her face for the first time in   
weeks...  
Both girls looked at him and burst out with more laughter. "This is Houki-san,"   
Kourin finally got out. "I met her today. You will come back and visit with me," she   
pressed. "I don't get much female companionship confined to my rooms like this."  
"I don't know..." Houki vacillated. "I'm not really supposed to leave the women's   
quarters..." She looked at Kourin's pleading eyes and sighed. "I wish I could, but I   
don't know..."  
"Why does Kourin want to see her so much?" Nuriko asked himself. "She can't   
know that Houki looks the way my imouto would if she had lived...but she seems   
to make Kourin happy." He gently put a hand on Houki's shoulder. "If you would   
like I'll arrange things for you," he offered shyly. "Kourin does need some friends   
besides Hotohori-sama and myself."  
"Doomo arigatou gozaimasu, Nuriko-sama!" the girl said, her eyes shining like   
stars. She gathered her long skirts and stood, delicately rearranging her bodice.   
"I need to return before I'm missed. Hopefully, we will get a chance to talk again,   
Kourin-sama."  
"Why do you want to talk to her so badly?" Nuriko asked suspiciously after Houki   
disappeared from view. "You didn't seem starved for female companionship,   
Kourin."  
The blond girl smiled sadly. "Houki loves Hotohori..."she sighed quietly. "If I can't   
be with him I want his wife to be someone who will love him at least. Besides   
Houki has a good sense of humour, and she's sweet tempered as well. If I keep   
her close to me, maybe Hotohori will notice her..."  
Nuriko put a hand on Kourin's shoulder and rubbed her back with the other. "I   
admired your strength in sacrificing yourself and your true feelings for the good of   
Konan," he said, trying to reanimate his companion. "In the space of a day you've   
lost the man you love and found him a replacement for you. Not many women   
could do it."  
"Do you think I want to be told all this?!" the blond demanded. "I don't need to be   
reminded how great a sacrifice I made you know!" Her face began to crumple,   
then forcefully cleared of all emotion. "I can't afford to cry about it; I have to be   
strong and prepare for when Suzaku comes for me."  
"So you're definitely going with him?" Nuriko gasped.  
Kourin hung her head. "I don't really want to leave this world behind, but it seems   
that if I don't Suzaku will punish you all in my stead. Am I being selfish in not   
being able to make a decision?"  
The Suzaku seishi pulled away from her and sighed. "I think you're just being   
human, but you can't afford to be that weak, can you? You have some idea that   
you can't let yourself feel emotions since you've been chosen by Suzaku...if   
you're frightened or depressed about making a final decision it's all right if you let   
us know. You lied to Hotohori didn't you? Don't you think he has a right to know   
the real reason you won't marry him?"  
"That's not your affair, Nuriko," the blond said, rising. "If you'll excuse me I have   
to ask Hotohori to allow Houki-san to visit me."  
Nuriko watched Kourin until she disappeared around the corner. "What was I   
doing?" he scolded himself. "I almost told her to go make up with Hotohori!"   
Kourin's enthralling golden smile floated in his mind, and his heart clenched   
painfully. "Something tells me I love her more than my own life, but despite my   
jealousy towards the other men around, her I just want to see Kourin happy and   
smiling forever..."  
"Hotohori?" Kourin asked hesitantly, pausing at the doorway to the emperor's   
study. "May I come in?" She trembled slightly as he looked up from the desk.   
Surprise clouded the young emperor's features, but he smiled amiably and   
gestured for the girl to enter.  
"Kourin, you're the last person I expected to see here," Hotohori said gently as   
she approached his desk. "What may I do for you?"  
"I have a rather large favour..." the blond girl began nervously. "Would you grant   
permission for one of the princesses to come visit me on a regular basis? I   
understand if it's too much to ask..."  
Hotohori stepped out from behind his desk and cut her off. "Kourin, all I need is   
her name, and it will be done. It is not such a big thing."  
"Her name is Houki," the girl began shyly, looking down, "and she looks a lot like   
Nuriko...I'd like you to meet her someday."  
Hotohori was glad his companion was staring at the floor so she didn't see the   
pain on his face. "Perhaps I could escort Houki-san to dinner with you and Nuriko   
tonight?" he offered hesitantly.  
"That would be wonderful, Hotohori!" Kourin said quickly and darted out the door.  
"Kourin, wait!" the emperor called after her. "Please be happy..." he whispered   
softly, but she was already gone.  
The young woman hummed softly as her hands fluttered over the mound of   
dresses on her bed. She didn't know where they had all come from, but all of   
them were so pretty! "The green one is nice, but the burgandy one will bring out   
the gold in my eyes," she mused. "What am I saying?" She drew away from the   
bed, one hand pressed to her lips in shock. "It's not like me to get excited over   
clothing like this...that's more Jin Feng's sort of thing..." Kourin shook her head   
fiercely. "No! We are not merging! I haven't given my consent!"  
"There are some things in life that occur without our approval," an elderly voice   
resonated slightly. "You cannot deny your destiny, daughter of the golden   
phoenix."  
The girl looked around startled. "Who's there? Where are you?"  
"I'm at Mt. Taikyoku where I'm supposed to be," the voice said with asperity, "but   
I'm talking through that mirror I gave you. Have you forgotten me already, girl?"  
"T...taiitsukun!" Kourin stammered, picking up the small, circular mirror. "Did you   
need me for something?"  
The creator laughed mockingly. "My dear child, what could you do for me right   
now? You are having enough trouble helping yourself." The wrinkled face   
softened a little before adding, "Your strength in breaking away from Hotohori   
impressed me; I did not believe you were capable of it."  
The girl's eyes filled with tears, and she sank down onto the bed.. "It hurts so   
much inside though," she sobbed, covering her face with her hands. "Despite   
what everyone says I think that I really do love him..."  
"Perhaps," Taiitsukun said gently, "but you also could be affected by his obvious   
attraction to you. When you have the time analyze your feelings and try to see   
who you hurt most for: Hotohori or yourself."  
The image in the mirror flickered out, and Kourin stared at her own reflection for   
several seconds before drying her tears and standing. "She's right...I don't have   
time to feel sorry for myself right now. Dinner will be here soon, and I've got to   
come up with a plan to get Hotohori to notice that Houki would be an excellent   
empress."  
About an hour later Nuriko's quarters had been transformed into a magnificent   
dining room and parlour due to the strategic placement of several folding screens   
and extra furniture. Kourin smiled with pleasure as the last servant discreetly   
nodded and left. "This will be perfect!" she babbled to herself. "I'm still terrible at   
mah jong, but Houki might be a good player, and if she isn't, I'll get Hotohori to   
help her!"  
Nuriko's eyes nearly popped out of his head when he wandered in a few minutes   
later. "What in Suzaku's name do you have planned?!" he asked in shock.  
The girl stopped rearranging the table settings and looked up innocently. "Didn't I   
tell you, Nuriko? Hotohori and Houki-san are coming to dinner tonight...oh no!   
We've got to get dressed before they arrive!"  
Nuriko stared back blankly. "No, somehow you forgot to mention it, but I'm not   
surprised that you have something new up your sleeve," he grinned wickedly.   
"Your life would be incomplete without some sort of 'purpose' to work towards."  
Kourin laughed lightly and stuck out her tongue. "If you're trying to make me   
angry it won't work tonight, Ryuuen. I have too many important things to concern   
myself with." She shoved a formal outfit at him and curtsied mockingly. "An' it   
please you, sir, the burgandy suit would be perfect for this evening."  
The young man pretended to think over the girl's offer before teasing, "And how   
will Kourin-sama be attired? I simply could not bear to have my ensemble clash   
wiht hers."  
"Why her burgandy evening gown, of course!" the blond continued, fighting back   
triumphant laughter. "It does bring out the gold in her eyes so well."  
Houki and Hotohori arrived promptly at seven, and, miraculously, everything was   
ready. Kourin smiled blindingly and gestured towards the chairs circled near the   
windows. "Why don't we talk a little before we eat?" she bubbled.  
Houki paled slightly and cast a nervous look at the emperor from under her   
eyelashes. "Maybe we should just eat, Kourin-sama," she suggested softly "I   
don't want to waste heika-sama's time"  
"Ack! How can she be so dense?!" the blond girl asked herself in frustration. "I   
don't think a little chat will take too long," she protested sweetly, "and Hotohori   
doesn't really have anything more important to do besides be with us, does he?"  
The young emperor caught the subtle hint/threat and shook his head. "Iie, I am   
completely free. I believe that Kourin has missed having someone other than   
Nuriko around for company, so I cleared my schedule."  
Houki cast another uneasy glance at her companion and nodded shyly. "Ii desu   
yo. I enjoyed our last talk, Kourin-sama. You were like a breath of fresh air after   
the meaningless drivel of the other princesses."  
The blond girl flashed another golden smile and gently looped her arm through   
Nuriko's. "Ryuuen, you're not joining us," she pouted prettily.  
The young seishi blinked and almost stepped back in surprise. Kourin had   
voluntarily touched him with tenderness, and now she was pouting because of   
his inattention? "Two can play at this game," he mentally smirked. "My dear, you   
were doing splendidly without me. Besides social engagements bore me."  
A thundercloud crossed Kourin's brow, and her grip on Nuriko's arm tightened   
painfully. "Would you excuse us for just a moment?" she asked her guests,   
slightly flustered.  
"What the hell to you think you're doing?" she hissed furiously once they were out   
of earshot. "If you couldn't tell, I'm trying to get Hotohori to notice Houki-san!"  
"All you've managed to do so far is convince him that I'm the reason you broke   
off your relationship!" the purple-haired seishi retorted, stung.   
"Don't you dare mess this up!" Kourin threatened, advancing on him menacingly.   
"Houki sincerely loves Hotohori, and I think she can make him happy."  
Nuriko gripped her wrists and rotated so the girl's back faced the wall. "I   
understand what you want, but what do I get for going along with your little   
scheme?" Slowly, he forced Kourin to retreat until her back hit the wall. Her faint   
look of panic made it clear that she knew she was trapped, and Nuriko let her   
worry for a few minutes before speaking again. "Give me a good reason to help   
you, Kourin."  
Lids flipped down over brown eyes and then back up, revealing a disconcertingly   
steady gaze. "I am removing your most dangerous rival," she said softly. A   
triumphant light blossomed in her eyes, and the young seishi knew that once   
again Kourin had managed to trap him instead of the other way around.  
"And what of Suzakuseikun?" he breathed, dropping his hands to the girl's waist   
and leaning in closer. "What is he to you?"  
A gentle golden fire began to glow in Kourin's glorious brown eyes. "Suzaku is   
only an obstacle to my happiness...how can I be expected to love someone so   
distant just because of who my family is?"  
Tempted by the girl's candid words the young man raised a hand and carefully   
swept her hair back from her face. "I'm right here, and I only wish for your   
happiness," he whispered passionately.  
Kourin lifted her face towards his, and her eyes clouded. "Nuri...Ryuuen, I know,   
but...  
Nuriko cut off her sentence with a soft, warm kiss. He tasted faintly of tea and   
wine and something undeniably his own, and her treacherous body melted under   
the simple assault. "Somehow when he touches me Nuriko becomes the center   
of my world...I'm not in love; it's completely impossible!"  
Meanwhile Houki and Hotohori desperately attempted idle small talk, but as both   
were naturally reserved, shy people their efforts were strained. "I wonder why   
Kourin-sama ran off so suddenly," the young woman blurted suddenly, blushing   
in embarrassment.   
The young emperor sighed heavily. "Kourin had a gleam in her eye that makes   
me think that her companion may be in for an earful. I think they got off on the   
wrong foot from the start."  
Houki stood with a worried look on her pretty face. "I don't hear any yelling," she   
explained. "I'm going to make sure nothing serious has happened. Heika-sama,   
would you care to join me?"  
Hotohori watched the delicate movements of the young woman's hands as she   
spoke. "Hm...she is rather pretty, and she cares about others..." he mused   
silently. He entertained no illusions about Kourin's dinner invitation. She had   
chosen this Houki to be Konan's empress, but he wasn't yet sure...  
"Heika-sama?" Houki asked anxiously. "Are you coming?"  
"Hai! Ikou yo!"  
It didn't take long to find the missing couple. Houki turned around the edge of a   
screen and stopped short. "Back up a little!"  
From behind the large screen Kourin's guests watched as Nuriko bent his head   
to cover Kourin's lips. A strange magnetism throbbed through the intertwined   
pair, and mysterious waves of emotions exuded from them.  
"I knew it," Houki said quietly. "Kourin-sama tried to deny it, but the attraction is   
there." She loosely took Hotohori's sleeve and pulled him away from the tableau.   
"Let's give them some privacy, ne?"  
Nuriko separated from Kourin reluctantly and caressed her face. "Tell me now   
that you aren't mine," he demanded huskily. "Can you tell me now that you don't   
feel anything for me?"  
The girl's eyes flashed. "I don't belong to anyone but myself! Whoever I choose   
to love will learn to accept that. Besides one kiss doesn't mean a thing." She   
tossed her head scornfully, but inside she trembled in fear. Her reaction to the   
seishi's touch had been so strong it almost overwhelmed her. "I can't let myself   
love him!" Kourin cried silently. "I'm afraid of losing myself..."  
Houki smiled at her approach. "I hope things are all right with you and Nuriko-  
sama. Won't he be back to join us?"  
Kourin smiled wanly and briefly glanced at the shell-shocked Hotohori before   
lying glibly, "He'll be along shortly. We needn't wait though. Dinner will get cold."  
Nuriko sighed as Kourin stalked off, head high and back rigid. "How can I always   
say exactly the wrong thing?" He closed his eyes and leaned wearily against the   
wall. Her scent lingered in the air, and his fingertips tingled from feeling her soft   
curves beneath them. She had been molten gold, flowing perfectly into his   
embrace...and now things had soured between them again.  
"Are you certain we shouldn't wait for Nuriko-sama?" Houki's nervous voice   
floated across the screen.  
"He'll join us shortly," Kourin said sweetly, but Nuriko's trained ear detected the   
hard, angr y edge in her voice.  
Reluctantly, he straightened and splashed some cool water on his face. "She   
made an important point." he murmured to himself. "If Hotohori eventually   
marries Houki, I don't have to fear Kourin trying to return to him despite all of   
Taiitsukun's warnings. I saw her eyes when he arrived, and the feelings she held   
for him have not...Bwill not fade until she knows he has found happiness with   
another." Nuriko lightly combed his hair and readjusted his suit. "I become a   
better actor every day that I spend with her..." Forcing a bright smile he stepped   
from behind the screen to rejoin the company.  
"I hope you didn't wait on my account," the young man stated jovially  
and froze in the charged atmosphere.  
Houki turned very pale and looked down at her hands, trembling like a frightened   
doe. Hotohori glared at his fellow seishi with eyes like dark bullets, but the blond   
girl's response was worst of all. Kourin's eyes were hard and icy, her face   
haughty. "I'm so glad you were able to join us, Nuriko," she stated coldly.   
" D..doushite?" the young man stuttered in confusion. "Why is everyone so   
upset?"  
Hotohori stood stiffly and gave his companion a curt nod. "I don't appreciate   
being lied to, Kourin," he breathed painfully. "If you loved someone else you   
should have just told me instead of inventing pretexts."  
"Chotto matte kudasai!" Nuriko protested, even more flustered. "I still don't   
understand..."  
"This is not your affair," Kourin stated regally. A deep golden aura glowed around   
her, and she clearly had tapped into an outer power source. "Perhaps I did not   
mention the whole truth, Hotohori, but my reasons are not what you think..." Her   
head dropped in defeat. "I...I am destined to become Suzaku's consort, and   
unless I can find a way to break his hold on me, I can never belong to any mortal   
man. I brought Houki here tonight, Hotohori, to offer her as your empress. She   
loves you, and in time you will come to love her more deeply than either Miaka or   
me." A pair of glowing wings gently snapped open, and Kourin raised her head   
sadly. "I, Jin Feng, have seen this and know it to be true."  
The other three stood awestruck at the young woman's strange transformation.   
This imposing creature was not their beloved Kourin nor was she the   
mischievous trickster Jin Feng.  
"Is this what they become when they finally merge?" Nuriko mused silently.   
The golden glow began to fade, and Kourin sunk into an armchair, perspiration   
beading her brow. "What happened?" she gasped. "We were arguing, and then I   
blacked out...why are you staring at me like that?"   
Houki regained her composure first and smiled sweetly. "We were just worried   
because you hadn't awakened. Perhaps some food will make you feel better,   
ne?"  
After Hotohori and Houki left Kourin wandered out onto the porch and stared   
sulkily at the evening sky. The seishi's constellations twinkled brightly at her, and   
she sighed heavily. "I have only to look at the night sky, and I'll have all of you   
with me...Chiriko, Tamahome, Chichiri, Hotohori, Nuriko, Tasuki, Mitsukake..."   
The girl's eyes turned towards her own constellation, and she sighed again.   
"That's not really me up there; it's just the memory of the woman Suzaku loved.   
Why couldn't he be like the Greek gods and leave her in the stars?!"  
A wave of exhaustion suddenly washed over her, and Kourin reluctantly entered   
the rooms she shared with Nuriko and prepared for bed. "I got tired so quickly,   
that I know someone is just waiting to get into my head," she muttered darkly.  
Her suspicions were confirmed when she began to dream just as her eyes   
fluttered close, and a familiar red-winged man came towards across the misty   
gate to the dreamworld.  
"Hanashi ga arun da, little one," Suzaku said brusquely. He grasped the girl's   
upper arms and forcefully pulled her into his embrace. "You asked why, little one,   
and I shall tell you!"  
Kourin turned red and tried to break away from the encircling arms. "Can't I just   
be an ordinary girl?" she begged piteously. "Can't I go back to the way things   
were?"  
Suzaku shook his head sadly and brushed Kourin's hair from her eyes. "They   
can't because I loved your ancestress with my entire being, little one, and in my   
selfishness I am not willing to let you go!"  
"But I'm not her!" the girl protested desperately. "I will never become who Jin   
Feng originally was because my life has been too different! Wouldn't another girl   
from my line, a descendent, work just as well?"  
"You are Jin Feng in ways that you could never understand," the god whispered.   
"You have her power...her fire...not just her face."  
"What about your seishi? There are two who love me...does their suffering please   
you?" Kourin demanded hotly, letting her panic take control.  
"If I do not claim you as my own my seishi will be destroyed," Suzaku stated   
simply. "My miko nearly drove them apart once. I will not have my destined bride   
succeed." He stared down at the girl in his arms firmly. "I can make you happy,   
little one, watakushi no saiai," he whispered, bending to kiss her.  
Kourin turned her head away in consternation and the god's kiss caught her right   
cheek rather than her lips. "Dame desu yo..." and her eyes filled with tears.  
The phoenix god sighed and pressed his face to Kourin's hair. "You will come to   
love me, little one. Your ancestress finally did after a lengthy courtship."  
The tears in Kourin's heart finally overflowed. "But she didn't have people she   
cared about that you were asking her to leave behind!"  
A worried look passed over the god's face. "So you do love him. I was afraid that   
you were becoming too close..." Suzaku pressed one hand to Kourin's forehead.   
"Go find the deep, peaceful sleep where there are no dreams...I must have time   
alone to analyze this new development."  
Kourin awoke in the early hours just before dawn and returned to the porch. An   
uneasy feeling had settled in her stomach, and her cheek burned where Suzaku   
had kissed her. To her surprise the young emperor waited outside, pensively   
staring at the early morning sky.   
"I asked Houki to marry me last night," he said without preamble. "Despite   
everything, or perhaps because of it, I wanted you to be the first to know."  
The girl stared at Hotohori speechless. "I...I hadn't thought of you as the   
impulsive type!" she finally blurted out.  
The young man shook his head. "I was following the...advice someone very close   
to me offered, and I think that Jin Feng, or should I say you, selected an excellent   
empress for me."  
"B...but I never said a thing!" Kourin protested weakly. "I meant to, but...Jin   
Feng? You saw Jin Feng?" Her eyes narrowed in annoyance. "When I catch that   
meddling phoenix woman...!"  
Hotohori embraced her from behind and buried his face in the curve of her neck.   
"Kourin, you became someone more than yourself last night," he murmured   
huskily, "and while I trust that I will come to love Houki in time, now you're the   
only one I can think of..." His arms tightened around her, and his warm lips lightly   
grazed her skin.  
The feelings of uneasiness grew, and Kourin tried to pull away. "Hotohori,   
yamete!" she ordered softly. The imperial seishi's behaviour was extremely   
peculiar, and she wished he would just return to his rooms and leave her alone   
with her thoughts.  
To her horror the unwelcome embrace tightened just as the door to her rooms   
swung open. "Kourin, are you out here?" Nuriko called, straining his eyes in the   
darkness.   
"Please don't look this way!" Kourin silently pleaded, but Nuriko turned his head   
towards her, and the blood drained from his face.  
Glossary  
Gomen nasai -- I'm sorry  
-sama -- Formal honourific suffix used with one's superior, a good equivalent in   
English would be "lord" or "lady"  
Miko -- Shinto priestess. In Fushigi Yuugi the miko are the intercessors between   
humans and the 4 animal gods.  
-san -- Most frequently used honourific suffix, used with one's equals. A good   
English equivalent would be "Mr.", "Mrs.", or "Miss".  
Imouto -- younger sister  
Arigatou -- Thank you  
Heika -- emperor  
Hai -- yes  
Ii desu yo -- It's fine.  
Ikou yo -- Let's go!  
Doushite -- why  
Chotto matte kudasai -- Wait a minute  
Hanashi ga arun da -- We need to talk.  
Watakushi no saiai -- my beloved, "watakushi" is a more formal form of   
"watashi"(I)  
Dame desu yo -- It's no good.  
Yamete -- Stop it!  
  
Questions? Comments?  
c 1997 jscaife@austin.rr.com   
  
  
  



	10. Suzaku no Saiai -- Chapter 10

Suzaku no Saiai  
  
  
Part X  
  
Standard disclaimer: Fushigi Yuugi is copyrighted by Watase Yuu, Shogakukan,   
TV Tokyo, Movic,and Studio Pierrot, and maybe some other people, if I forgot   
anyone.^^; Anyway, please don't sue me. I'm just a recent college grad with a   
secretarial job!. Kourin and Jin Feng were created by me, but I'm not responsible   
for their actions in this fanfic. I can't control them anymore! If you think you might   
be more successful controlling them, feel free to borrow them. Just drop me a   
line at jscaife@austin.rr.com to let me know.  
This is the end finally after a long, long time of desperately trying to find an end to   
this strange piece. I'll add a short epilogue in the next few days, but for all intents   
and purposes Suzaku no Saiai has ended. A few less strings were tied up than   
I'd planned at the first, but I suppose life just works like that sometimes, right? I   
also cut the Japanese from this last part because I wasn't in the mood to have to   
write up another glossary.^^;  
Thanks to all of you who've followed this from the beginning, and I'm sorry it took   
so long.  
  
Hotohori held Kourin in a possessive embrace while varied emotions swept across   
her pale face. The kanji for "star" pulsed on her neck, a sure sign of her emotional   
upheaval, and Nuriko turned away blindly. Pain burned through him with icy fingers.   
Couldn't Kourin see what she was doing to them all?  
"I see you've made your decision, Kourin," he spat bitterly. "I wondered how   
long you would be able to keep up your resolve to stay away from the emperor!"  
The slamming door broke a barrier inside the girl, and she increased her struggles.   
"Nuriko, you have it wrong; things aren't what they seem!" With superhuman strength   
she pushed Hotohori away and slapped him fiercely. "Don't ever try that again," she   
threatened, "or you won't live to regret it!"  
The imperial seishi looked back at her in surprise. "Kourin? Have you truly   
killed all your feelings for me so easily?" Childish fear and uncertainty clouded his face,   
and the girl saw the myriad insecurities Hotohori held inside.  
Her anger softened, and she squeezed the young man's shoulder companionably.   
"I care for you very much, but, no, I don't think I ever loved you in a romantic sense. I   
was in love with my image of you as someone safe and how you fit into my purpose   
here."  
"So you love Nuriko then?" Hotohori asked weakly. "His reaction seems to have   
hurt you very deeply. I'm terribly sorry to be the cause of your tears once again."   
The girl shook her head as she moved towards her door. Her eyes glowed like   
amber stars, and she breathed deeply. " I.I don't know why Nuriko's rejection hurts so   
much," Kourin said slowly, "but I do know that I have to find him and try to make things   
right again. I'm so tired of people getting hurt because of me."  
Nuriko curled into a ball in his bedroom, clutching his chest. " I wish I could   
drink and forget, but I'd just end up looking for her.at least she has the sense not to   
come in here." He buried his face against one of the chair cushions and begged the tears   
to fall, but his eyes remained stubbornly dry and painful.  
"Ryuuen? Ryuuen? I know you're in there because I already checked   
everywhere else!" Kourin called, opening the door.  
The young man lifted his head eagerly, and, for a brief second, his heart leapt.   
The image of Kourin in Hotohori's arms flashed through his mind yet again, and he   
snarled bitterly, " Just go back to Hotohori and leave me in peace! I'm sick of your   
games!"  
She moved towards him and lifted her gaze to meet his. "So am I." she   
whispered sadly, kneeling on the floor next to 


	11. Suzaku no Saiai -- Epilogue

Suzaku no Saiai _Suzaku no Saiai_

  


_Epilogue_

Standard disclaimer: Fushigi Yuugi is copyrighted by Watase Yuu, Shogakukan, TV Tokyo, Movic,and Studio Pierrot, and maybe some other people, if I forgot anyone.^^; Anyway, please don't sue me. I'm just a recent college grad with a secretarial job!. Kourin and Jin Feng were created by me, but I'm not responsible for their actions in this fanfic. I can't control them anymore! If you think you might be more successful controlling them, feel free to borrow them. Just drop me a line at jscaife@austin.rr.com to let me know.

I've gotten the epilogue finished in short order, so here it is. Ack...I've gotten depressing recently.^^;;

Thanks to all of you who've followed this from the beginning, and I'm sorry it took so long.

Suzaku gently stroked his bride's hair, his eyes sad and dull.The girl had lost most of her sparkle and fire since merging with Jin Feng, and she spent most of her time staring down at her former lover, his own seishi, Nuriko.

Are you so unhappy here, Jinny? he asked painfully.You rarely smile anymore, and I haven't heard your laughter since you arrived.

Kourin/Jin Feng looked up, and tears shone in her golden eyes.I'm just having a hard time adjusting to not being human any longer, she lied.The girl stroked her wings lightly and fiddled with a strand of her now long golden hair.

You miss Nuriko, her consort said flatly, guiding her to the window seat.He sat down and pulled the girl into his lap.Did he make you happy? the god asked wistfully.

I loved him with all my heart, his bride said, voice breaking, but I won't go back on my bargain.You gave me several months of happiness with him even though it pained you to see me with someone else, and I won't go back on my promise to join you here.

Suzaku lightly touched her forehead, and the two kanji for flared up with golden light.You haven't changed at all, little one, he sighed.You've continued to throw your entire heart and soul into anything you doeven falling in love.His arms wrapped around her, and he gently drew her body to his chest.I only wish that I could have been the man you gave your heart to in this lifetime

Kourin looked over her companion's shoulder out the window to see Houki coaxing Nuriko to play with her young son down in the gardens of Konan palace.She had finally recovered from losing her husband in the terrible battle against Kutou, and she mothered the heartbroken seishi and young Boshin with the same fervor.

Kourin wouldn't want to see you sad, Houki insisted, forcing Nuriko to take the young prince's toy ball.She's watching you from the heavens, you know.

The young seishi turned the ball in his hands.I still miss her he said weakly, I love her so much still that my soul aches

Suzaku will take good care of her for you, the Empress said briskly, and she'll be waiting for you, when you finally move on from this life.

Nuriko smiled bravely.I can only hope that she still remembers me, and until then I'll do my best to keep her from being sad on my account.

The girl pried her gaze from the window and turned back to Suzaku.I'm sorry that I've been depressed, she said softly, placing on hand on his.It's not fair to you after you've been so good to me.

The phoenix god looked up into her sweet face and smiled ruefully.I fooled myself into thinking I could make you love me, Kourin, he said, using her human name.All I can do now is spend the rest of eternity making it up to you.

She leaned forward and brushed a kiss over Suzaku's forehead.Ryuuen will be returned to me in time, she smiled.All I have to do is wait. 

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